UTICA, NY – Although the area couldn't avoid a storm, the SUNYIT men's basketball team was able to, as the Wildcats avoided an upset and defeated the visiting Keuka College Storm 81-80 in overtime at the Campus Center Gymnasium Wednesday night.  The Wildcats have now won five straight contests and are 10-4 in the NEAC and 11-9 overall.  Keuka fell to 2-10 in conference play and 3-13 overall.

Senior David Golembiowski (Barneveld, NY/Holland Patent), the reigning NEAC and ECAC Player of the Week, scored seven of his season-high 35 points in overtime, five of which came after the Wildcats were trailing in the extra session. As a team, the Wildcats came up with three blocks and two steals in the extra frame to squeak out the victory. 

It was a wild contest from the get-go.  Hot shooting helped the Wildcats build a 15-point, 26-11 lead after 10 minutes of play in the first half, but Keuka chipped away at the lead over the next 10 minutes and put the game at 37-31 in SUNYIT's favor at the break.  Keuka would then open the second half hot and tie the game at 44 after six minutes of action, and it would be back and forth from there on out.

The Storm wound up with a five-point lead with 3:28 left to play, but four straight Keuka turnovers led to six unanswered points for the Wildcats that put them up one, 64-63, with 1:50 remaining.  SUNYIT would remain up one with 11 seconds left, but after senior Kevin Cappiello (Youngsville, NY/Sullivan West) went 1-for-2 from the free throw line, Keuka freshman Putter Brown would take the ball coast-to-coast and hit a running layup to the game at 66 all with six seconds to play.  Golembiowski couldn't convert a fall-away jumper on SUNYIT's last possession to avoid overtime, but did his damage in the extra session to guide the Wildcats to victory.

SUNYIT senior Calvin Logins (Lyons, NY/Keuka College) came up with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals against his former team, while junior Alex Grimmer (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench.  Cappiello finished with seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and a game-high five steals.

Brown finished with 21 points for the Storm, while Teddy Tuggles scored 17 and Diamond Booker finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.   

The Wildcats will look to continue their winning ways this Saturday when they travel to take on conference rival Wells College.  Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.