Photo - Austin Lindell

JAMESTOWN - In another hard-fought battle on the hardwood, the Jamestown Community College men;s basketball team fell in a tight game against Monroe Community College Wednesday evening, 75-70.

The Jayhawks (2-22, 0-6 Region 3) were led by center Ivan Tribaldo (Madrid, Spain/Instituto Ortega y Gasset) with his first collegiate double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds (7 offense, 3 defense). Guard Josiah Ransom (Orange Park, FL/Helena HS) added 12 points with forward Gonzalo Luque (Madrid, Spain/Instituto Ortega y Gasset) chipped in with 11 points. Guard Elgin Oliver (Monroeville, PA/Gateway Senior HS) facilitated the offense, finishing with a career-high seven assists.

JCC held an early 4-2 lead in the game before the Tribunes went on a 13-2 run to make it 15-6 in favor of MCC with 15 minutes left in the first half. MCC kept the offense going, gaining a 27-14 lead with 9:32 left in the first half. The Jayhawks cut the deficit to seven points, scoring six unanswered with Oliver leading the charge scoring a pair of baskets.

The Tribunes did get their biggest lead of the half in the closing second, taking a 42-28 lead into the break.

MCC did see their lead grow to as many as 16 points early in the second half but that did not phase the Jayhawks. JCC slowly chipped away at the lead thanks to an 8-0 run thanks in part with forward Moussa Kaba (Jamaica, NY/Martin Luther HS) going four-for-four at the line during the stretch to make it 66-58.

The Tribunes answered with a three-pointer from Mahamadou Nimaga but once again, the Jayhawks did not waiver. JCC quickly made it a two-possession game with guard Bam Toure (Jamaica, NY/St. Johns Prep) hitting four free throws and another from Luque making it 69-63 with 4:52 left in regulation.

Ransom cut the deficit to one possession with a made three-pointer off the dish from Tribaldo to make it 73-70 but a pair of free throws from Nimaga helped put the game away down the stretch.

The Jayhawks went 26-for-63 (41.3 percent) from the field while the Tribunes went 28-for-67 (41.8 percent) from the floor. MCC held the advantage on the glass, grabbing 43 rebounds to JCC's 40 rebounds. The Jayhawks did have the edge in the paint, scoring 46 points to the Tribunes' 38 points.

The Jayhawks will be back in action this Sunday, February 13th, as they host Erie Community College for a 12 p.m. tip.