City College of New York men's basketball team picked up a 77-72 non-conference victory over USMMA on Saturday afternoon in Nat Holman Gymnasium. 

The first half started slow for both teams, but the Mariners started it all off with a 7-0 run. It continued to be a slow half, but CCNY came down from behind and tied the game 13-13. The score went back-and-forth, but the Mariners took the lead back and held onto it for most of the first half. 

CCNY took the lead with just under 5:30 left off of two free throws made by Khalil Hamer. City would continue to hold off USMMA and take a seven-point lead going into the locker room. 

Mark Richards led the Beavers with nine points at the half, while Khalil Hamer led the way with four rebounds. The Beavers shot .481 from the field and the Mariners shot .480. 

Holding onto a 38-31 lead, the Beavers continued to add points and hold off the Mariners. City took a 45-35 lead, but then USMMA went on an 8-0 run and cut the deficit 45-43. City still continued to remain in control and would not let USMMA take the lead. 

The Mariners had different plans and tied the game 62-62 with 5:42 left on the clock. After that, the Beavers turned their engines on and knew they needed to make a big lead if they wanted to win this game. City went on a 10-2 run that gave them a 72-64 advantage. USMMA fought hard until the final buzzer sounded, but City would remain in control and won 77-72.

Mark Richards led the Beavers with 22 points, while Hamer added 19 and David Solano tallied 10. In his final regular season home game, Blake Borysewicz recorded five points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. On the game, the Beavers shot .481 from the field while holding the Mariners to a .458 field goal percentage.

The Beavers will start their final road conference trips of the season as they travel to Baruch on Tuesday, February 9. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.