Photo by Curtis Ashley
By Curtis AshleySports WriterIt was another unfortunate loss by the City College Men's basketball team on Tuesday night, as they allow the Baruch College Bearcats to get the season sweep over them. Things went south for the guys quickly and they were never able to turn it around, losing 79-59.The result of the game makes for their worst loss of the season, a 20-point deficit. The largest amount the team lost by prior to Tuesday's game was 19 points, which came at the hands of the last team they lost to, CSI. After beating USMMA in what was their last home-game, the team immediately fall s back into a slump. They have lost three of their last four games. Their record drops to 12-11 overall, 6-8 in the conference. They currently preside over the number six spot in the CUNYAC, just below Medgar Evers and just above York College.Khalil Hamer and Salvatore Palazzolo each had the team-high 14 points. Hamer had four rebounds and five assists to accompany, while Palazzolo had six rebounds and four assists."When I come off the bench, I just try to spark up the offense, the defense, the littlest thing I can do," Palazzolo said after the game. "Fourteen points don't really mean nothing when we lost the game, but I just try to come off the bench with confidence and try to take advantage of their size."Unlike many of their games this season where City had a decent game and gave it up in the final minutes or last possession, this was a game that didn't go their way for almost the entire forty minutes. With just under 13 minutes remaining in the first half, City sported a 13-11 lead over Baruch. But their inability to hold them on defense, combined with their own errors on offense, allowed Baruch to nearly run away with the game early on. The Bearcats would go on a 15-0 run, taking four minutes off the clock. The half ended with a score of 39-29.City played catch-up for the entire second half, but it was no use. The closest the team ever got to getting back in the game came after the opening bucket of the second half, off a layup by David Solano. But from that point on, Baruch hosted a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half. Baruch's defense was just too much for the Beavers to overcome. They forced 29 turnovers, including 15 steals. City actually shot well from the field in the game, averaging .481 in the game. But it was good defense that trumped good offense in this game."Way too many turnovers. Twenty-nine turnovers, that's enough for two and a half games for sure. Just can't play a team like this and give them that many extra possessions," Head Coach Tom Green said after the game.There are only two games left in the regular season, but there's no time to dwell on the loss. The guys continue their three-game, season-ending road trip with a visit to John Jay College on Friday. John Jay, the team that City narrowly lost to earlier in the season, is currently on a six-game losing streak and at the bottom of the conference. If there was any game that could help City regain some confidence and momentum, it's the Bloodhounds."We're gonna very well prepared for them. We're gonna play very hard. Got two games left on the regular schedule and then the tournament. Just gotta come and play."