COBLESKILL, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's basketball team earned their fourth North Atlantic Conference (NAC) win of the season on Saturday afternoon 72-61 over SUNY Cobleskill. Jesse O'Dell and Chieckne Toure each scored 17 points for the Wildcats en route to the win. The Wildcats are now 9-10 this season with a 4-5 NAC record. The win drops Cobleskill to 14-5 this season with a 6-3 record in NAC play.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcat win can be attributed to a great second-half team performance. The Wildcats shot 54.8% in the second with five steals, four blocks, and a 10-rebound advantage. Three players scored 11 or more points in the second half. Cheickne Toure scored 12 points. Jesse O'Dell and Mitch Kernizan scored 11 each in the half.

Cobleskill held a lead as large as six points in the first half and took a five-point lead into the locker room at halftime. The Wildcats were dominant in the paint in the game, scoring 50 points in the paint to the Fighting Tigers' 30. The Wildcats also had a 12-rebound advantage in the game.  

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Jesse O'Dell recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He also had a block and two assists. He shot 50% from the field for the Wildcats.
• Cheickne Toure also had 17 points for the Wildcats with a team-high four steals. Toure also had four assists and five rebounds in the win.
• Andre Starks had a team-high 15 points for Cobleskill with a team-high four steals and three rebounds.
• Three other Cobleskill players registered double-digit points. Jeremy Rosario had 13 points. Justin Feldman had 11 points. Trent Lomax had 10 points off the bench.
• Mitch Kernizan had 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a game-high three blocks for the Wildcats.
• Josh Ernst had nine points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench for the Wildcats.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will return home for a mid-week non-conference match-up with local rival Hamilton College. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 PM tip-off on Tuesday, January 24th. The game will be played at SUNY Poly's Campus Center Gym and will be streamed live on the SUNY Poly Sports Network (SPSN).

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

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, game design, 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.