Cobleskill, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team dropped a hard fought 76-72 home decision to Cazenovia College in North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) play on Wednesday evening at the Iorio Gymnasium. The loss drops the Fighting Tigers to 2-16 overall on the season including a 2-8 conference record while the Wildcats now improve to 7-11 overall with a 6-4 conference mark.

After by trailing by as many as seven points with 2:38 remaining in regulation at 73-66; the Fighting Tigers cut the lead to 73-72 with only 12 seconds remaining when senior guard Michael Hutchinson, Brooklyn, N.Y., Prospect Heights High School, cut down the lane and scored a lay-up off a precision feed from junior guard Quincey Miller, Brooklyn, N.Y., Lafayette High School/Potomac State College.

On the next possession Cobleskill fouled Wildcat junior guard Avery Wilmore, Clarksburg, Md., St. James High School, who stepped to the line with 12 seconds left to sink a pair of free throws to make the score 75-72 Wildcats.

After a time-out, the Fighting Tigers got the ball to Miller who exploded up the court into the paint drawing the Cazenovia defense to him leaving junior swingman Frank D'Esti, Vestal, N.Y., Vestal High School/Broome Community College, alone at the three-point line. But as Miller let the pass fly to his open teammate, Wildcat freshman guard Jordan Gilman, Rochester, N.Y., Aquinas High School, went airborne to make an impressive interception on Miller's pass to  effectively end the Cobleskill comeback effort with four seconds left in regulation.

The Orange & Black received strong efforts from Frank D'Esti, with 14 points and two assists and from junior swingman Brian Jackson, Bronx, N.Y., Global Enterprise Academy, who hit for 14 points to go with five rebounds and two assists on the evening. Michael Hutchinson chipped in a season high of nine points along with four assists and three steals while Quincey Miller had six points, six steals, seven rebounds and four assists on the evening. Senior forward Kemar Hemmings, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Poughkeepsie High School, was also a factor off the bench for the home team with six points, a career high of 11 rebounds and a pair of assists.

Cobleskill will next be in action on Saturday February 6^th when they host the Lions of Bryn Athyn College in NEAC play beginning at 1:00 p.m.