ABINGTON, Pa. - The SUNY Poly men's basketball team improved to 2-1 in NEAC play on Sunday, winning the second of their two-game road trip in thrilling fashion over Penn State Abington. Josh Gregory (Whitesboro, N.Y.) became just the eighth member of the 1,000 point club at SUNY Poly in the game. Jake Kulakowski (Brewerton, N.Y.) hit the game-winning put-back layup with just two seconds left on the clock to complete what was an impressive comeback for SUNY Poly. The final score was 60-59. The Wildcats are now 5-6 this season.

MILESTONE:

Josh Gregory (Whitesboro, N.Y.) became just the eighth Wildcat in the history of the program to surpass 1,000 career points. He knocked down the milestone passing bucket late in the second half on a layup with 1:11 left in the quarter. The bucket brought the Wildcats within four points of the Nittany Lions. Gregory finished with a team-high 20 points in the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The two teams played a tight first half with the Nittany Lions edging out a two-point lead at the half. Abington started to pull away in the second half, growing their lead to 12 points with just four minutes to go in the game. The Wildcats did not go away, clawing their way right back into the game with a great defensive effort that held Abington to just four points in four minutes. With just under 10 seconds to go in the game and trailing by one point, the Wildcats called a timeout. Out of the break, the Wildcats created a layup which did not fall, Jake Kulakowski gathered up the offensive board and put up the game-winning layup with just two seconds left to complete the Wildcats 12 point comeback.

NOTABLES:

• Josh Gregory scored his 1,000th point in the game. He scored a team-high 20 points, had four rebounds, a steal, and a block.
• Jesse O'Dell (Rotterdam, N.Y.) and Kievonn Banks (Rochester, N.Y.) each scored 10 points for the Wildcats. O'Dell had a team-high six rebounds and three blocks. Banks had a game-high five steals, five rebounds, and three assists.
• LJ Randle (Rotterdam, N.Y.) had nine points and a pair of assists for the Wildcats.
• Jake Kulakowski hit the game-winning layup for the Wildcats. He had four points, three rebounds, and an assist in the game.
• Abington's Pernell Ghee had a game-high 24 points. He also had four steals, two rebounds, and an assist.
• Lexuus Fasce had nine points for Abington.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will head to Cazenovia on Wednesday, January 15th for a NEAC matchup. The game is scheduled for a 5:00 PM tip-off. Cazenovia is 2-1 in NEAC play this season. The game is the first NEAC North Division matchup for both teams.

*************************************************************************************************************

SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.