John Jay basketball's rally falls short against Westlake

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - John Jay hosted Westlake on Monday, Dec. 8, and the matchup delivered steady drama from start to finish. The Wolves led by seven after the first quarter, Westlake surged back to grab a 10-point lead in the third, and John Jay briefly reclaimed a one-point edge with 3:40 left. But the night’s final lead change belonged to the Wildcats.

With 2:52 remaining, Meghan Nebel buried a three-pointer to put Westlake ahead for good, and the visitors rode that momentum to a 50–46 victory.

John Jay opened the game when eighth-grader Kylie Bishop attacked from the corner and drew a foul, sinking one of two from the line. Westlake answered with a three from Nebel, who struck from the opposite corner for a 3–1 lead.

Bishop tied things up moments later, capitalizing on a Westlake overplay by snatching the ball and stepping inside the arc. The Wolves then built an 8–3 advantage behind a Gianna Pelosi fast-break layup, a Helena Schembri putback, and a Pelosi free throw.

Bella Murray trimmed the deficit from the line, but Bishop kept the margin intact. After blocking a drive from Juliano DiMarino, Bishop finished on the other end off sharp ball movement from Pelosi and Charlotte Omin. Bishop later added another free throw, and Omin drilled a jumper to extend the lead to 12–5.

Westlake closed the quarter strong, with Cara Maloney muscling in an offensive rebound to cut the deficit to five.

John Jay struck first in the second quarter when Pelosi banked in a tough runner for a 14–7 lead. But Westlake responded with a run of its own—Brooke Pfeiffer hit from deep, and Murray converted a three-point play to pull the Wildcats within one.

Omin steadied the Wolves with two free throws, but Westlake surged ahead shortly after. Nebel turned a steal into a coast-to-coast finish, and Murray’s drive put Westlake up 19–16. Pelosi added a pair of free throws before halftime, but the Wildcats came out firing in the third. Nebel hit two threes and Murray added another to stretch the lead to 30–20 with 3:51 left.

John Jay refused to fold. Heather Martinsen scored on a putback, Bishop hit a free throw, and Pelosi drained a corner three off an Omin feed to trim the deficit to five. More second-chance effort from Elise Templeton and Schembri set up a Pelosi jumper that made it 30–27 heading into the fourth.

Templeton opened the final quarter with a runner, and after Bridget Doherty briefly halted the Wolves’ momentum with a three, John Jay surged again. Gabby Camaj lofted a perfect pass to Schembri inside, and Pelosi tied the game on a fast-break layup with 5:33 remaining. After a Westlake turnover, John Jay grabbed multiple offensive boards until Templeton knocked down a short jumper for a 34–32 lead.

But Westlake answered. After Nebel was fouled, the Wildcats battled for the rebound off her missed free throw, and Sara Plotkin converted in traffic. Pelosi briefly restored the lead with a three off a Templeton pass, but with 3:40 left, John Jay was done scoring.

Nebel delivered a contested three, pushed the break with a defensive board that led to Isabella Pastilha’s basket, and added three free throws down the stretch. Her efforts built a six-point cushion entering the final seconds.

A backcourt trap produced a late layup for Pelosi, and Omin knocked down two threes to pull John Jay within 49–46, but with three seconds left the Wolves were forced to foul. Pastilha hit the final free throw to seal the 50–46 win for Westlake.