Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team couldn't overcome a quick second-half surge from Russell Sage on Saturday, falling 85–56 in a non-conference matchup at Iorio Gymnasium.
Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) paced the Tigers with 11 points and seven rebounds, battling on the interior and keeping Cobleskill within striking distance early. In his first start of the season, junior
Cameron Rhode (Elmira, NY) added eight points, seven boards, a block, a steal, and an assist in an all-around effort.
Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) chipped in six points while pulling down a team-high nine rebounds along with two assists, two steals, and a block.
Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY) finished with six points, and
Conor Holland (Marathon, NY) led the Tigers off the bench with seven.
Cobleskill shot 32.8 percent from the floor while Russell Sage connected on 45.6 percent. The Gators' defensive pressure proved to be the difference, as the Tigers managed just 5.9 percent from beyond the arc and were forced into 23 turnovers - leading to 34 Sage points. The Gators also controlled the lane with 54 points in the paint and a slight 51–49 rebounding edge.
The Tigers opened the first half with strong ball movement and physical play inside, taking an 8–7 lead after a mid-range jumper from Holland at the 12:29 mark. A smooth finish from Rhode made it 10–7, but Sage answered with a 10-0 run to grab a 19-12 lead they never surrendered. Cobleskill gained some momentum late with a 6-0 burst to cut the deficit to 25-20, but the Gators regained control and carried a 34-24 lead into halftime.
Holland led the Tigers at the break with seven points, while Chung and Wright each had six.
Sage came out firing to start the second half, opening with 19 unanswered points to stretch the margin to 53-24. Despite steady effort from Cobleskill, the Tigers were unable to climb back into the game. Late in the half,
Adrian Beato (Beacon, NY) scored his first points of the season, and forward
Ryan Nadje (Harlem, NY) recorded the first points of his collegiate career as the Gators closed out the 85-56 win.
Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on Tuesday, November 18, when they host Keystone College at 7:00 p.m.
