Cobleskill, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team closed out their weekend North Atlantic Conference (NAC) homestand on Saturday afternoon losing to the visiting Wildcats of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute by a score of 72-61 at the Iorio Gymnasium. With the defeat the Fighting Tigers are now 14-5 overall on the year including a 6-3 record in league action while the Wildcats improve to 9-10 overall including a 4-5 record in conference play.

Cobleskill entered the contest bitten by the injury bug as three rotational players including two starters were in street clothes for the game. Despite the short bench the home team took a 34-29 lead into the locker room at the half behind the hot shooting and athletic play of first-year swingman Jeremy Rosario, Colonie, N.Y., Colonie High School, who scored 10 points in the half.

However the second half was a different story as the Wildcats used a pronounced size advantage to put the contest into the win column outscoring the Fighting Tigers 43-27 connecting on 17-of-31 shots from the field, 54.8%, and 9-of-12 free throw attempts.

Junior guard Andre Starks, Rochester, N.Y., Fairport High School/Corning Community College, scored a team high of 15 points to go with four steals and three assists while Rosario finished with 13 points and two assists on the day. The home team also received 11 points and nine rebounds from senior forward Justin Feldman, Chester, N.Y., Chester High School/Orange Community College and 10 points off the bench from sophomore Trent Lomax, Harlem, N.Y., Percy Sutton High School, in his first extended action of the season.  

The Orange & Black will return to action on Wednesday January 25 when they travel to Dallas, Pa. for a non-conference meeting with the Cougars of Misericordia University beginning at 7:30 p.m.