SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's basketball team won 79-61 against Saint Joseph's (Me.) on Sunday night to win the Sig Mafoski Tournament hosted by Union College. The Wildcats defeated St Joseph's (L.I.), on Saturday night to advance to today's championship game. With the win, the Wildcats move to 4-3 on the season. The Wildcats have one more non-conference game on Tuesday, November 29th before opening up conference play against SUNY Canton on Friday, December 2nd. 

Both teams had a strong showing in the first half, with 5 lead changes happening in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Wildcats would go on an 8-0 run to end the first half and carry momentum into halftime. Jesse O'Dell was dominant in the first half for the Wildcats, scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds. Mitch Kernizan and LJ Randle would have eight and seven points respectively in the first half to also help the Wildcats.

In the second half, the Wildcats would carry the momentum and never look back to hold onto the 79-61 victory. The Wildcats would shoot 46.2% from the field led by a strong second-half showing from Dylan Ernst. Ernst would score 14 second-half points to finish with a game-high 19 points.

The Wildcats controlled a few major facets of the game, which would ultimately lead them to victory. Inside the paint, the Wildcats outscored the Monks 60-26. The Wildcats also did a great job taking care of the ball, only turning the ball over five times compared to the Monks' 13 times.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Dylan Ernst, Jesse O'Dell, LJ Randle, and Mitch Kernizan would all score in double figures for the Wildcats.

• Jesse O'Dell grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

• Griffin Foley would lead the way for the Monks, scoring 18 points.

• The Wildcats would shoot 51.6% from the field, compared to Saint Joseph's (Me.) 32.3%.

UP NEXT: 

The Wildcats will be back in action on Tuesday, November 29th for a matchup with Skidmore College. The game will tip-off at 7:30 PM.