Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team earned its first program win over Husson University in dramatic fashion, holding off the Eagles for a 95-93 victory on Senior Night in a North Atlantic Conference battle Friday evening inside the Iorio Gymnasium.
Cobleskill placed six players in double figures, led by
Bruce Wilder Jr. (Rochester, NY), who paced the Tigers with 16 points off the bench.
Rowan Morel (Manhattan, NY) added 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while shooting an efficient 7-of-11 from the floor.
Emilio Nabli (Brooklyn, NY) put together one of his best all-around performances of the season, finishing with 13 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and two steals on 6-of-9 shooting.
Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds, while senior
Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY) delivered a strong Senior Night effort with 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists, continuing his steady two-way impact.
In a back-and-forth contest that featured 21 lead changes and 12 ties, both teams shot the ball well. Cobleskill finished 47.5 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from three, and 68.8 percent at the free-throw line. Husson shot 44.9 percent overall, 35.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 65.0 percent at the stripe.
Husson held the edge on the glass, outrebounding Cobleskill 47-41, but the Tigers controlled the interior with a 46-34 advantage in points in the paint. Cobleskill's bench was the difference-maker all night, outscoring the Eagles 60-23.
Husson came out sharp, building an early 11-3 lead before Cobleskill settled in and responded. A
Marquay Tanksley three-pointer sparked the Tigers, and Cobleskill slowly cut into the deficit as the Eagles held a 19-12 advantage with 12 minutes remaining in the half.
The Tigers then flipped the momentum with a 15-4 run over the next two minutes, taking a 27-23 lead. Nabli keyed the stretch with five points and several strong possessions as a playmaker. Husson answered right back with an 11-0 run of its own to regain control, taking a 34-27 lead with five minutes remaining.
The Eagles extended their advantage late in the half, but
Conor Holland (Marathon, NY) beat the buzzer with a clutch bucket to cut the deficit to 45-38 heading into halftime.
Husson pushed its lead to 53-43 early in the second half, but Cobleskill refused to fold. The Tigers chipped away possession by possession, cutting the margin to 55-53 after triples from
MJ Ford (Staten Island, NY) and Morel. Nabli followed with a tough step-back jumper to keep the Tigers within striking distance, and Cobleskill eventually reclaimed the lead at 65-64 after a pair of free throws from Wilder with 11 minutes to play.
From there, the game turned into a true down-the-wire NAC battle. Husson briefly regained the lead, but Wilder answered with an and-one finish to swing momentum back. The two teams traded baskets and lead changes over the final stretch, and with two minutes remaining the game was tied at 91-91.
Nabli delivered the go-ahead bucket with a strong driving layup to put Cobleskill ahead 93-91. Husson stayed close and cut it to 95-93 with 21 seconds left, giving the Eagles a chance to tie or take the lead in the final possession.
But Cobleskill came up with the game's biggest defensive play, as
Daniel Penubothula (Valley Stream, NY) made a last-second steal to seal the Senior Night victory and secure the Tigers' first-ever win over Husson.
Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to the court Saturday, February 7, as they host the University of Maine at Presque Isle for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off in the Iorio Gymnasium.
