DELHI, NY - The SUNY Poly men's basketball team beat SUNY Canton on Friday night to advance to the NAC Semifinal on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats got two great performances from their typical leading men, Josh Gregory and Jesse O'Dell who accounted for more than half of the team's points. The win brings SUNY Poly's record to 17-9 this season. They will face SUNY Delhi in Saturday's semifinal. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

On a typical day, the Wildcats look to attack their opponent from the inside, leveraging size and strength to wear down their opposition. Tonight was a different story. With Canton's size and length, the Wildcats opted for a long-range attack in the first half, and that approach paid off in the form of a 13 point lead through one half. The Wildcats shot the lights out in the first, shooting 75% from three-point range. Cheickne Toure went 2-2, while four other Wildcats knocked down a three-pointer. 

In the second half, the Wildcats returned to their typical strategy, ultimately earning the advantage inside to the tune of a 48-33 rebounding edge while outscoring Canton 42-16 in the paint. The Wildcat's largest lead of the game was 14 in the final minutes of the first half. 

NOTABLE STATS: 

• NAC Player of the Year Josh Gregory led all scorers with 19 points. He also had eight rebounds, four assists, and a block. 

• Jesse O'Dell had an 18 point, 15 rebound double-double with two blocks and four assists. 

• LJ Randle played all 40 minutes for the Wildcats. He scored 10 points, had seven rebounds, a team-high three blocks, and a pair of assists. 

• Mitch Kernizan also scored 10 points for the Wildcats. 

• Quaran DuBois and Danny Santana led the scoring efforts for SUNY Canton. They each scored 17 points in 30+ minutes. 

• Justin Chambers-Phillips had 10 points and a pair of rebounds for the Kangaroos. 

UP NEXT: 

The Wildcats will take on the #1 seed in the West Division; SUNY Delhi in the NAC Semifinals on Saturday, February 19th. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 PM tip-off at SUNY Delhi. The Wildcats and the Broncos split the regular-season series this year. The winner of Saturday's game will be crowned the West Division Champion and will travel East to compete for a NAC Championship next weekend. 

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SUNY Poly is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, 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 campus; 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 hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.