Quincy, Mass.: The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team opened the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) portion of their season on Tuesday evening in impressive fashion defeating the host Lions of Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) by a 90-77 score. With the victory the Fighting Tigers even their record at 4-4 overall including a 1-0 record in league action while the Lions are now 1-5 overall with a 0-1 record to open conference play.
 
The Fighting Tigers moved out to 41-33 lead at the half on the strength of a defensive effort that saw them hold the home team to 10-of-30, 33.3%, from the field including of 2-of-11, 18.2%, from three-point range while forcing the Lions into 11 turnovers during the half.
 
In the second half the Lions got off to a fast start cutting the Fighting Tigers lead to 45-44 at the 14:24 mark of the half before the visitors when on a 19-6 run to extend their lead to 64-49 with 8:38 left in regulation from which they never looked back.
 
Cobleskill demonstrated great balance on the evening as five players scored in double figures led by senior guard Andre Starks, Rochester, N.Y., Fairport High School/Corning Community College, who filled up the box score with a 17-point, seven rebound, three assist, three steal effort along with sophomore guard Kobe Long, Rochester, N.Y., McQuaid Jesuit High School, who had 15 points, six assists, four steals and three rebounds in the victory.
 
The Fighting Tigers also received strong outings from sophomore swingman Jeremy Rosario, Colonie, N.Y., Colonie High School, who had 14 points, three rebounds and two assists, junior center Jermaine Wheeler, Manhattan, N.Y., Marist High School, who had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots and sophomore point guard Quanire Greene, Albany, N.Y., Bishop McGinn High School, who had 11 points, two rebounds and an assist in a reserve role.
 
The Orange & Black will next be in action on Saturday December 2 when they host conference rival Morrisville State College in NAC action beginning at 1:00 p.m.