Lyndonville, VT – The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team put together its highest-scoring performance of the season with six players in double figures, but a late surge by VTSU-Lyndon proved decisive as the Tigers dropped a 111-108 road contest on Saturday afternoon.

Emilio Nabli (Brooklyn, NY) and MJ Ford (Staten Island, NY) led the offensive effort, finishing with 20 points apiece. Nabli was efficient throughout, shooting 7-of-12 from the field while adding three assists and three steals. Ford continued his strong stretch of play, going 8-of-14 from the floor and 2-of-5 from three-point range. Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) added 16 points, eight rebounds, and a steal on 5-of-9 shooting, while Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) filled the stat sheet with 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a block. Conor Holland (Marathon, NY) and Cameron Rhode (Elmira, NY) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points each, with Rhode also contributing seven rebounds and five assists.

Both teams found rhythm offensively in a fast-paced contest. Cobleskill shot 45.5 percent from the field, while Lyndon finished at 49.3 percent and connected on 52.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Hornets held a slight edge at the free-throw line (71.1 percent to 83.3 percent), and both teams finished with 42 rebounds. Lyndon held a 52-48 advantage in points in the paint, while Cobleskill's bench once again made a major impact, outscoring the Hornets 52-32. Defensively, the Tigers forced 21 turnovers, converting those opportunities into 19 points.

Cobleskill came out sharp, and opened a 7-0 run in the early stages which was sparked by Andrew Wright, who scored seven of the Tigers' first 11 points. A jumper from Nabli extended the lead to 17-10 midway through the half, and back-to-back baskets from the guard kept Cobleskill in control. Nabli capped a strong first-half performance with a transition three to push the advantage to 30-19, and a Wright free throw later gave the Tigers a 41-27 cushion with three minutes remaining. Lyndon made a push late, but Nabli closed the half with a pull-up jumper to send Cobleskill into the break ahead 51-41 for his 15^th point of the half.

A Rhode jumper early in the second half maintained the Tigers' momentum, but Lyndon gradually chipped away at the lead. After Ford scored on consecutive drives to extend the margin to 71-60, the Hornets answered with a run of their own. Cobleskill responded with a quick 7-0 spurt capped by an and-one from Nabli to regain control, stretching the lead to 94-84.

Lyndon continued to press and cut the deficit to one possession with five minutes remaining. Cobleskill briefly rebuilt a five-point lead at 103-98, but the Hornets closed strong down the stretch. After multiple lead changes in the final minutes, Lyndon took a three-point edge late, and Ford's contested three at the buzzer narrowly missed, sealing the 111-108 decision.

Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return home on Friday, February 6, hosting Husson University in a North Atlantic Conference matchup at 5:30 p.m. in the Iorio Gymnasium.