UTICA, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's basketball team will begin their postseason quest for a NAC Championship Trophy on Friday night. The Wildcats enter the first round as the #3 seed in the West Division and will face SUNY Cobleskill in the opening round. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 PM tip-off at SUNY Delhi.
The Wildcats and their first-round opponent, SUNY Cobleskill, have met two times this season. The Wildcats won the first matchup 72-61 at SUNY Cobleskill thanks to a big second half that saw the Wildcats shoot over 50% and outscore their opponent 43-27. In the two teams' second meeting of the season, Cobleskill rallied late to take the lead in the second half, winning the game 77-72.
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
The Wildcat defense has been key to their success this season. They have the lowest points allowed per game total in the NAC with 70 ppg allowed in NAC play. They also have the second-most blocked shots in the conference.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jesse O'Dell and Cheickne Toure have been a dynamic duo, averaging 17 and 14 points per game respectively in conference play. Success for those two is the recipe for success for the Wildcats. Jesse O'Dell has been a dynamic inside scoring threat for the Wildcats who draws defenders in and has the ability to pass the ball (2.1 assists per game). Cheickne Toure has been the Wildcat's deep threat all season, knocking down a team-high 34 3-pointers.
THE TOURNAMENT:
The first two rounds of the NAC Championship Tournament are the "Divisional Championships". The Wildcats are in the West Division bracket with #1 SUNY Delhi, #2 SUNY Cobleskill, and #4 Cazenovia. On the other side of the bracket, the East Division competitors are #1 UMaine-Farmington, #2 Husson, #3 UMaine-Presque Isle, and #4 NVU-Lyndon. The winners of the first round will face off on Saturday for the Divisional Championship. The two Divisional Champions will meet on Saturday, February 25th for the NAC Championship Game. The winner of the NAC Championship game will receive the conference's AQ bid for the NCAA DIII National Championship Tournament.
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