MARCY, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's basketball (13-6, 9-1 NEAC) team improved to 9-1 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) on Wednesday with a divisional win over SUNY Cobleskill (5-14, 2-9 NEAC). The Wildcats struggled a bit out of the gate, turning the ball over 12 times in the first half. The Cats' would land on their feet in the second half, cutting their turnovers in half while turning up the intensity on defense to earn a 14 point win 59-45.
Kevin Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was a nightmare for the Cobleskill defense. The senior nearly had a double-double in the first half scoring 13 points and bringing down nine rebounds. Williams would finish with a game high 24 points and a game high 12 rebounds in 38 minutes of play. Williams also played outstanding on the defensive side of the ball where he racked up a game high five blocks and two steals. Williams is currently third in the NEAC in scoring this season with 19.1 points per game, and is sixth in the NEAC with 8.5 rebounds per game.
Malik Johnson (Highland Falls, N.Y.) was his normal self, playing stifling defense while scoring 10 points on three of seven from the field. Johnson had two steals, three assists, and six rebounds in the game.
Tyler Taverne (Westmoreland, N.Y.) played a solid game for the Wildcats. The senior had seven points, shot 60 percent from the field, and pulled down nine boards. Taverne also tallied a steal and a block in the win.
Redell Freeman (Rochester, N.Y.) had a game high nine assists for the Wildcats. "Free" had three points, two rebounds and a game high four steals. This marks the seventh time this season where Freeman has had eight or more assists. He currently leads the NEAC with 5.9 assists per game.
Cobleskill's Antwan Claxton and Joel Costello carried the offensive load for the Fighting Tigers. Claxton had 11 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Costello had 10 points, four assists, six rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Up Next:
The Wildcats will host a pair of NEAC games this weekend. On Saturday the Wildcats will take on St Elizabeth at 1:00 PM. On Sunday, Gallaudet comes to town for a 12:00 PM tip-off at the Campus Center Gym. SUNY Poly beat St. Elizabeth at home last season 92-73 and lost to Gallaudet on the road 74-69. Both games will be streamed live on WildcatTV.