Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team delivered a gutsy finish on Saturday afternoon, using a final-possession defensive stop to complete a comeback and secure a 71-70 North Atlantic Conference victory over Lesley University inside the Iorio Gymnasium.
Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) powered the Tigers with a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds, attacking the rim and getting to the line throughout the afternoon while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 10-of-14 at the stripe. Newcomer
Emilio Nabli (Brooklyn, NY) turned in his best performance as a Fighting Tiger, scoring 15 points and knocking down a clutch three late in the second half while adding three rebounds, a block and a steal.
Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and a game-high five steals.
Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY) contributed eight points, three rebounds and two assists, while
MJ Ford (Staten Island, NY) added a career-high seven points and three steals.
Cameron Rhode (Elmira, NY) was active on the glass, pulling down eight rebounds.
Cobleskill shot 38.4 percent from the field, 19 percent from three and 57.9 percent from the free-throw line, while Lesley finished at 35.8 percent from the floor, 27.8 percent from deep and 81 percent at the line. Lesley held the rebounding edge, 54-42, but the Tigers controlled the paint, outscoring the Lynx 40-32. Cobleskill's defense forced 22 turnovers that turned into 20 points, and the Tigers' bench once again made an impact, outscoring Lesley 28-14.
Lesley opened the game with a 5-0 run, but Wright answered with an and-one finish off a Tanksley assist before Tanksley followed with a layup to tie the game. The Lynx pushed ahead 17-9 midway through the first half, but Cobleskill responded with baskets from Ford and Nabli to stay within reach. Lesley briefly regained control at 23-15, before Wright sparked a response with four straight points to cut the deficit to 25-22. A pull-up jumper from Chung made it a one-point game, 27-26, and Nabli knocked down a jumper at the 1:37 mark to give the Tigers their first lead. A Ford three and a Tanksley layup helped Cobleskill carry a 35-33 advantage into halftime.
Lesley came out of the break with an 8-1 run to retake the lead, 41-36, in what quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle. Nabli tied the game at 44-44 with a smooth mid-range jumper, and a Tanksley and-one kept Cobleskill within one, 50-49, with 10 minutes to play.
Conor Holland (Marathon, NY) buried a three to briefly put the Tigers back in front, and the two teams traded leads over the next several minutes. A Nabli layup off a Wright assist pushed Cobleskill ahead 63-60 with just over four minutes remaining, but Lesley answered with a run of its own to take a 68-65 lead with 1:40 to play.
Out of a timeout, Nabli calmly knocked down a three to tie the game at 68-68. Moments later, Wright finished an and-one in transition to give Cobleskill a 71-68 edge with under a minute remaining. Lesley pulled within one, setting up a final possession, but the Tigers turned up the defensive pressure and forced a turnover to seal the 71-70 victory.
Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on Sunday afternoon, hosting Thomas College to close out the NAC weekend. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. inside the Iorio Gymnasium.
