Wayne, N.J.: The big dance ended early for the SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team as the Fighting Tigers dropped a 80-54 decision to host William Paterson University in the First Round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Men's Championship Tournament. With the loss Cobleskill closes the season with a 17-11 overall record after falling in the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance while the Pioneers improve to 21-7 overall and advance to tomorrow night's tournament second round game versus Virginia Wesleyan College beginning at 7:00 p.m.  

The Fighting Tigers fell behind 5-0 to open the contest when senior forward Mike Chapman, Brooklyn, N.Y., The School for Democracy & Leadership, scored he first basket in the program's NCAA post-season history to make it 5-2 with 16:29 left in the half. However despite getting the ball into the paint repeatedly against the Pioneers defense Cobleskill could only manage to convert on 9-of-24, 37.5%, attempts from the field while William Paterson shot a sizzling 16-of-29, 55.2%, from the field including 6-of-10, 60.0%, from three-point range to take a 40-25 lead into the locker room at the break.

The second half saw the Pioneers extend their lead to 49-30 with14:00 remaining to play before the Fighting Tigers made a furious run lead by senior forward Cortrell King, Brentwood, N.Y., Upper Christian Reading Room High School/Suffolk Community College, who cut the lead to 57-49 on an explosive dunk with 6:15 remaining in regulation.

However that was as close as the visitors would get as William Paterson took control of the contest down the stretch to close the game on a 23-to-5 run to decide the issue and advance to the tournament's second round.

Cortrell King was the only player wearing the Orange & Black to reach double figures in scoring; coming off the bench to score 14 points and grab eight rebounds while the team received nine point efforts from  junior center Travis Woods, Mount Upton, N.Y., Unatego High School, and from junior swingman Brian Jackson, Bronx, N.Y, Global Enterprise Academy. Senior guard Alexis Nunez, White Plains, N.Y., White Plains High School, closed out his Cobleskill career with a full stat line contributing eight points, four rebounds and three assists on the evening
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