Cobleskill, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team opened the 2017-18 season on Wednesday evening by dropping a 68-50 non-conference decision to the visiting Engineers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the season opener for both programs. With the loss the Fighting Tigers open the campaign with a 0-1 record while RPI moves to 1-0 on the year.
 
The Engineers used a strong rebounding effort controlling the glass by a 51-41 margin which included 16 on the offensive end of the floor to provide the necessary possessions to post the victory as neither team was impressive shooting the ball with RPI hitting on 22-of-65 attempts from the floor, 33.8%, while Cobleskill was 17-for-58, 29.3%, on the night for the floor.
 
The Fighting Tigers received a strong offensive effort from senior guard Malik Chambers, West Point, N.Y., James I. O'Neil High School, who scored a game high of 25 points to go with four rebounds with junior swingman Ja'Quan McGill, Brockport, N.Y., Brockport High School/North Country Community College, hitting for nine points and four rebounds in his Cobleskill debut.
 
RPI was led by the trio of: junior forward Andreas Kontopidis, Sherborn, Mass., Dover-Sherborn High School, who led the team in scoring with 19 points, to go with six rebounds and four assists, junior guard Tom Horvat, Cranston, R.I., Marianapolis Prep., who had 18 points and five rebounds and four steals, and senior guard Asa Barnhill, Gloversville, N.Y., Gloversville High School who added 15 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists.
 
Cobleskill will return to action on Saturday November 18^th when they travel to Albany, N.Y. to face the Panthers of Albany College of Pharmacy in non-league action beginning at 1:00 p.m. while the Engineers will travel on Friday to Bristol, R.I. for the Roger Williams Tournament of Friday November 17^th where they will meet the Rams of Framingham State College with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.