MARCY, N.Y. – SUNYIT's Malcolm Jones (Syracuse, N.Y. / Fowler) scored a season-high 30 points in the Wildcats 96-89 home win Sunday afternoon over Cazenovia (5-17, 3-12 NEAC). He was joined by four other Wildcats in double-figures, as SUNYIT shot over 50% from the field for the first time in their last six games.
SUNYIT was hot in the first half, jumping out to a 52-39 lead at halftime. Jones scored 16 of his 30 points in the period. The half was punctuated by a thunderous alley-oop dunk by Sallo Fofana (Bronx, N.Y. / George Washington), who slammed home a long-lob from point guard Maverick Hodge (Bronx, N.Y. / Samuel Gompers) with two hands. Fofana finished with one of his best games of late, scoring 15 points and blocking 3 shots.
Despite the offense, Cazenovia wouldn't go away, and found themselves down just five late in the game, 89-84. With just over three minutes remaining in the game, SUNYIT brought the ball for a potentially crucial offensive possession. The Wildcats moved the ball expertly, taking a good chunk off the shot clock before Kaleel Johnson (Syracuse, N.Y. / Syr. Acad. of Science) found Jones on the inside with a great high-low bounce pass. Jones, who did an outstanding job of getting position all game, sealed off his defender and received the pass for a wide open layup, giving him 30 points for the game and the home Wildcats a 91-84 lead. The play also marked the first time in their last 6 games that SUNYIT scored over 90 points, a return to form of sorts for a team that leads the NEAC in points per game.
Jones's layup came with 2:44 on the clock, and from there SUNYIT went on to hit 5 out of 6 free throws to seal the deal, 96-89.
Trailing only Jones on the night in points was Ryan James (Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Springs). SUNYIT's leading point-scorer on the year finished with 18, and while the senior didn't have his best shooting night, James managed to go 4-for-8 from behind the arc in the second half.
In addition to James and Jones, point guard Maverick Hodge turned in one of his best performances of the year, narrowly missing a triple-double. The junior floor general tallied 11 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds on the night, even adding three blocks. The backcourt for SUNYIT in general was solid on the night, as Alexander Drake (West Sand Lake, N.Y. / Lansingburgh) chipped in 15 points and 6 assists to just a single turnover.
Of course, the real story of the night was Jones, whose 30 points are the most by any SUNYIT player this year. With 13 rebounds to lead the Wildcats, Jones also recorded his third straight double-double. The sophomore guard/forward was extremely active on both ends of the court, getting his points on a variety of post-ups, mid-range jumpers, and put-backs on offensive rebounds (of which he had four).
The Wildcats, who have played 4 games since last Sunday, will now get some much needed rest before taking on the league-leading Lancaster Bible College Chargers on Friday. That game – SUNYIT's fourth home contest in a row – is scheduled for 5:00 pm at the Campus Center Gym.
