Fast start fades as Lakeland rallies past John Jay basketball

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Tuesday, Feb. 10, John Jay traveled to Lakeland and gave the home crowd an entertaining first half, building a 36-26 lead before the momentum shifted. Lakeland’s rebounding strength, full-court pressure, and timely outside shooting turned the tide in a 63-53 Hornets victory.

Lakeland opened with a quick 5-0 run, setting the tone early. Louis Murray turned an offensive rebound into a reverse layup, and Mateo Lugo knocked down his first three-pointer.

John Jay answered with strong drives to the basket. Marc Fein and Will Green pushed the tempo, while Alex Palacio and Nate Summer finished inside to keep pace.

Lugo continued to shine, responding from beyond the arc and later adding a slick spin move in the lane for a 10-7 Hornets lead. But the Wolves’ backcourt responded midway through the first quarter. Green poked the ball loose and converted an off-balance layup, and Summer followed with a steal that led to a second-chance reverse after Palacio kept the possession alive. Luke Lulanaj then took a steal the length of the floor for the lead, and Anthony Ray closed the quarter with a layup.

In the second, Summer and Timmy Pastore sparked the offense. Summer found Pastore for an eight-footer, then drove through traffic to earn two from the line. With the score tied at 18-18, Pastore scooped up a loose ball and kicked it out to Summer in the corner, where he buried the three.

After trading baskets, John Jay seized control. Pastore found Braydon Gates and Summer on backdoor cuts, stretching the lead to 24-21. Fein’s steal led to a Summer fast break, and Fein cleaned up the miss with a putback. Summer added a spin move in the paint and a coast-to-coast layup to extend the advantage to 30-23.

Gates and Fein teamed up late in the half, with Gates hitting a short jumper and setting up Fein for a fast-break layup off a steal. Fein capped the half with another basket, sending John Jay into the break ahead 36-26.

Lakeland responded immediately after halftime with full-court pressure. Back-to-back turnovers led to baskets by Lugo and Ray, trimming the deficit. A quick two and three from the Hornets cut the lead to three.

John Jay pushed back. Green grabbed a defensive rebound and found Pastore in the corner for a three. Lulanaj added a tough finish at the rim, and Summer converted a layup off a sharp inbound pass from Green to keep the Wolves ahead by five.

But Lugo answered again from deep. Fein beat the press to set up Summer at the line, and Pastore showcased his ballhandling by taking a midcourt pass all the way to the rim for another five-point cushion.

The momentum soon shifted for good. Lugo hit another three, and Mike Lucia turned a steal into a short pull-up jumper to tie the game at 44 with 1:46 left in the third.

After a timeout, Summer knocked down a baseline jumper and finished high off the glass to reclaim a three-point edge. However, Lakeland dominated the closing seconds of the quarter with multiple offensive rebounds, and Lugo tied the game once more from downtown.

Early in the fourth, Pastore stripped Murray and Gates finished the break, but a charge call swung momentum. Lakeland’s press forced another turnover, and Ray capitalized with a three-pointer.

Then the game unraveled for John Jay. Pressure defense led to another turnover, Lulanaj converted on the drive, and a technical foul resulted in three free throws. When the dust settled, Lakeland led 55-47 and maintained possession. Patrick Gibson added to the lead on the ensuing inbound, and Murray controlled the paint — even stepping out to knock down a three.

With three minutes remaining, Palacio’s putback cut the deficit to 60-53, but a missed layup and a charge call sealed the Wolves’ fate as Lakeland closed out the 63-53 win.