Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team set the tone early and never looked back, using a strong first half to cruise past Maine Maritime Academy, 73-53, in North Atlantic Conference action Friday night inside the Iorio Gymnasium.
Emilio Nabli (Brooklyn, NY) led the Tigers with a game-high 16 points, adding three assists while shooting an efficient 6-of-12 from the floor. Cobleskill showcased its depth with three players finishing with nine points apiece.
Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) chipped in nine points and eight rebounds, going 3-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 at the free-throw line. In his first game as a Fighting Tiger,
Daniel Penubothula (Valley Stream, NY) made an immediate impact off the bench with nine points, five rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal in just 14 minutes, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 1-of-1 from three.
Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) added nine points, three rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist, while
Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY) finished with eight points.
Conor Holland (Marathon, NY) and
Cameron Rhode (Elmira, NY) each added seven points, with Holland adding four assists and four rebounds and Rhode with seven rebounds.
Cobleskill shot 40.3 percent from the field, nearly identical to Maine Maritime's 40.4 percent, but the Tigers created separation with advantages from beyond the arc and at the line. Cobleskill finished 25.9 percent from three and an efficient 80 percent at the free-throw line, while the Mariners shot 11.1 percent from deep and 50 percent at the stripe. The Tigers controlled the glass, 47-31, including a 16-6 edge in offensive rebounds that led to an 18-0 advantage in second-chance points. Cobleskill's defensive pressure forced 16 turnovers, turning them into 14 points, and the Tigers' bench played a major role, outscoring Maine Maritime 33-15.
The Tigers fell behind early, 6-2, but quickly flipped the momentum with a 9-0 run highlighted by three-pointers from Rhode and Holland. Cobleskill continued to build separation, opening its first double-digit lead midway through the half after Penubothula scored five straight points, capped by a putback layup to make it 21-10. After trading baskets, the Tigers clamped down defensively and used an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 33-18, punctuated by a strong and-one finish from Tanksley. Cobleskill closed the half on a six-point spurt, fueled by four points from
MJ Ford, to take a commanding 41-23 lead into the locker room.
Cobleskill carried its momentum into the second half, pushing the lead to 49-29 after a pair of free throws from Ford and a thunderous dunk from Tanksley. Maine Maritime briefly trimmed the margin to 55-40, but the Tigers shut the door with back-to-back three-pointers from Nabli and Chung to stretch the lead to 61-40 with under nine minutes to play. A jumper from Holland and a dunk from Rhode kept Cobleskill firmly in control as the Tigers closed out the 73-53 victory.
Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to the court Saturday afternoon, hosting the University of Maine–Farmington for a North Atlantic Conference matchup at 1:00 p.m. in the Iorio Gymnasium.
