UTICA, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's basketball team won a thrilling game on Saturday 73-68 over SUNY Delhi. The Wildcats trailed the Broncos in the game for 38 of the 40 minutes. They took the lead late in the game and traded buckets with Delhi until the end of regulation when they grew their lead to five after a few key defensive stops. The Wildcats are now 12-12 this season with a 7-6 record in NAC play.
THE TURNING POINT:
With two minutes remaining in the game, an offensive rebound by Josh Ernst led to a two-shot foul. Ernst hit both free throws to tie the game at 66 with 2:18 to play. Ernst would give the Wildcats their first lead of the game just 15 seconds later when he made a pivotal steal and a layup. A pair of free throws by Delhi tied up the game at 68. Those free throws with 1:48 remaining would be the last points that Delhi would score. Jesse O'Dell gave the Wildcats the lead back with 26 seconds to play on a contested layup. On the next possession, Cheickne Toure stripped the ball, causing Delhi to foul. LJ Randle knocked down one of the two free throws to stretch the lead to three points. SUNY Delhi had a decent look at the game-tying 3-pointer, but it clanked off the back iron and went out of bounds. Toure was fouled on the inbound play and hit both of his free throws to seal the win for SUNY Poly.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- The Wildcats had six players contribute at least seven points in the win. That group included all five of their starters.
- Jesse O'Dell had a team-high 18 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season.
- Cheickne Toure scored 13 points for the Wildcats with a pair of three-pointers, three assists, a steal, and a block.
- Josh Ernst scored 11 points for the Wildcats. He also had five rebounds, a pair of steals, a block, and an assist.
- LJ Randle and Mitch Kernizan had nine points each for the Wildcats.
- Anthony Rose had seven points and seven boards.
- Jacob Beach led the charge for the Broncos. He scored a game-high 26 points and had five rebounds.
- Lester McCarthy had 13 points, six rebounds, and three steals for SUNY Delhi.
- Isiah Barnes rounded out the double-digit scorers for Delhi with 10 points and a game-high seven assists.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcat will wrap up their regular season schedule on Saturday, February 11th with a NAC game against Cazenovia. The game is scheduled for a 3:00 PM tip-off at SUNY Poly's Campus Center Gym. The game will be streamed live on the SUNY Poly Sports Network (SPSN).
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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, 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.