Marcy, N.Y.: With the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship Tournament fast approaching, the SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team avenged an earlier home loss to the host Wildcats of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) on Tuesday evening coming from behind to post a 65-59 victory over the Wildcats in a game that could have potential post-season ramifications. With the victory the Fighting Tigers move to 14-8 overall on the season including a 9-2 record in league action while the Wildcats drop to 12-9 overall with a 7-3 record versus NAC opponents.
 
Trailing 40-29 in the second half with 13:37 left in regulation, the Fighting Tigers turned up the defensive pressure and outscored their hosts 24-11 to take a 53-51 lead with 2:49 left to play on a long three-pointer from sophomore guard Kobe Long, Rochester, N.Y., McQuaid Jesuit High School.
 
The home team then responded with a three-pointer from junior guard Cheickne Toure, Bronx, N.Y., Fannie Lou Hamer High School, to take a 54-53 lead at the 2:38 mark followed by another three from Kobe Long to give Cobleskill a 56-54 lead with 2:09 remaining only to have Toure connect again from three-point range to give the Wildcats the lead at 57-56 with 1:36 left to play forcing a time-out.
 
From that point on Kobe Long dominated the action hitting a three after the time-out to give Cobleskill the lead at 59-57 at the 1:18 mark and after Fighting Tiger sophomore swingman Jeremy Rosario, Colonie, N.Y., Colonie High School, blocked a Wildcat dunk attempt and secured the rebound, Long struck again from three-point range to make it 62-57 with 28 seconds left.
 
Down the stretch the Fighting Tigers outscored the Wildcats from the charity stripe with senior center Markel Jenkins, Elmira, N.Y., Elmira High School/Corning Community College, splitting a pair of free throws and Long hitting twice to secure the important conference road win.
 
Kobe Long lived up to his Laker namesake hitting for a game high of 29 points, three rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist while Markel Jenkins posted a double/double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with two blocked shots and a pair of steals.
 
Senior guard Andre Starks, Rochester, N.Y., Fairport High School/Corning Community College, turned in a solid all-around effort with four points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals with junior forward Chalik Oxley, Manhattan, N.Y., Graphic Arts High School/Mohawk Valley Community College, came off the bench to score six points and pass out an assist.
 
The Orange & Black will next be in action when on Tuesday, February 6 when they travel to Morrisville, N.Y. for a NAC meeting with the host Mustangs of SUNY Morrisville with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.