Introducing Vandy

February 01, 2016

Vandy the bearSJC Brooklyn's new mascot, Vandy the bear, debuts on Alumni Day


Not much is known about Vandy the bear. His origin is as gray as his fur — muddled in mystery, saturated in the unknown. But there he was, racing to midcourt during SJC Brooklyn's January 30 Alumni Day basketball doubleheader, wearing no. 32 and a pearly white smile. 

"It was a great day to be out there," Vandy said. "I didn't know if I was going to make it, but thankfully the snow melted, my hibernation subsided and I was able to catch some much-needed fish from the Gowanus."

In the first game of the afternoon, Vandy beared witness as the Lady Bears beat Purchase College, 96-64. Five Lady Bears reached double-figure scoring as the team poured in a program-record 96 points. Freshman Victoria Porcasi's (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) led all scorers with 21 points with five trifectas as the top three-point shooting team in the league rained down a program-record 16 three-pointers.

The second game saw the men's team fall to Purchase College, 77-64. Senior Michael Megafu (Jamaica, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) posted his eleventh double-double of the season, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team was unable to rebound from a sluggish second half.

Both games took on an added significance as they were the school's first-ever Play 4Kay games. Play 4Kay is named after legendary coach Kay Yow, who fought a courageous and very public battle against breast cancer to build a platform dedicated to improving and extending the lives of cancer patients. All proceeds from the SJC doubleheader benefitted the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, with fans also donating for each SJC three-pointer made.

"I'm glad I got to make my debut on such a significant day," Vandy said before heading into nearby Fort Greene Park. "Thanks to fans who donated to the Play 4Kay Fund, and Go Bears!"

• For more information about Play 4Kay, or to make a donation, visit Play4Kay.org.

• For up-to-date SJC Bears information, and for a full schedule, check out sjcbears.com.

• Come meet Vandy at his next appearance tonight, February 1, for another women's (5 p.m.) and men's (7 p.m.) basketball doubleheader — this time against Mount Saint Vincent.

Photo credits and game-breakdown text: Anthony Macapugay

Play 4Kay

The SJC Brooklyn women's basketball team, wearing special SJC Play 4Kay shirts, and Vandy the bear (seated, center).