BRONX, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's basketball team (5-4) took on the Huskies of Southern Maine (1-9) in the first round of the Lehman College Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament. The Wildcats took a big lead late in the second half, but nearly gave it right back. The Wildcats ultimately earned a 68-64 win.
The first half was a tight battle between the two teams. In the fourth minute, freshman Frank Reali (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored seven straight points to swing momentum in the favor of the Wildcats on two three pointers. On the second three, Reali was fouled and finished the rare four-point play pushing the lead to six. The Wildcats would hold a lead for the remainder of the half which ended 34-30.
DJ Anderson had a solid first half for the Huskies. He scored 10 points on four of six from the field and knocked down a pair of three pointers. He also led his team with five rebounds, and two steals.
The Wildcats etched out their largest lead of the game in the second half. With 7:20 remaining, a pair of free throws by Kevin Willliams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and a fast break layup by Frank Reali forced a Southern Maine timeout and gave the Cats' a 61 -47 lead.
The Huskies gained back four points after the timeout, but tough defense, a few untimely turnovers by Southern Maine, and a pair of baskets pushed the lead back to 14 with four minutes to go in the game.
Late in the second half, senior Christian McCue tried his best to will the Huskies to a win. McCue was a man on a mission, knocking down three three pointers and a mid range jumper in the last four minutes of play to bring Southern Maine back to within three points. 11 of McCue's points in the game were scored in the last four minutes of the game.
Luckily for SUNY Poly, the Wildcats had time on their side to close the game as Southern Maine came up just short of a 14-point comeback.
The Numbers:
- The Wildcats shot 42.1% from the field in the game.
- The Huskies shot 43.9% from the field.
- SUNY Poly shot a season low 15.4% from three-point range in the game.
- Kevin Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led all players with 22 points in the game. Williams also had six rebounds and two steals in the game.
- Christian McCue had a team high 19 points for the Huskies. 11 of his 19 points came in the last four minutes of the game.
- Tymeek Mackie (Rochester, N.Y.) scored 14 points on 5-10 from the field for the Wildcats, setting a new career high.
- The Wildcats held a lead for 36 consecutive minutes.
Up Next:
The Wildcats will take on the winner of the second tournament game between Mt. St. Vincent and host Lehman College. The Championship game will take place on Friday, December 29th at 6:00 PM. Live stats and stream links will be available on the SUNY Poly's athletic website as game details become available.