Cobleskill Cruises to Victory Over UMPI To Stay Undefeated in NAC

Taylor Meacham dribbles past defender. Photo by Saro Karageozian

COBLESKILL — The SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers women's basketball team extended their flawless North Atlantic Conference (NAC) record to 5-0 with a commanding 99-56 victory over the University of Maine-Presque Isle (UMPI) on Monday afternoon at Iorio Gymnasium.

Leading the charge was Antonia May (Amsterdam, NY), who delivered a stellar performance with a game-high 28 points, complemented by seven rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks. Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls, NY) notched her 14th double-double of the season, scoring 22 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, while adding two assists. Cara Walker (Phelps, NY/Midlakes) also posted a double-double, contributing 11 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Senior Taylor Meacham (Berne, NY/BKW) added to the team's balanced attack with 13 points, five assists, four rebounds, a block, and a steal.

The Fighting Tigers dominated in all aspects of the game, shooting an efficient 48.0 percent from the field compared to UMPI’s 32.7 percent. Cobleskill was lights out from the charity stripe, hitting 87.5 percent of their free throws against UMPI's 70.8 percent. The Tigers controlled the glass with 52 rebounds, including 23 on the offensive end, leading to 34 second-chance points, vastly outperforming UMPI’s seven. Cobleskill’s interior presence was felt throughout the game, as they scored 52 points in the paint, and capitalized on turnovers with 30 points compared to UMPI’s mere three.

The game opened with Cobleskill jumping to a 13-2 lead, driven by the dynamic duo of May and Thayne. By the four-minute mark, a pair of free throws from Walker extended the lead to 18-7. Although UMPI found a brief rhythm late in the quarter, Cobleskill finished the first period ahead 22-15.

In the second quarter, Cobleskill asserted dominance with an 11-2 run, quickly taking control. A 10-0 surge, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from May, widened the gap to 43-23. The Tigers maintained their momentum, closing the first half with a substantial 48-31 lead.

After the break, Cobleskill picked up where they left off, launching an 8-0 run to start the third quarter. A layup by Thayne, assisted by Meacham, extended their lead to 62-34. May’s floating jumper just before the buzzer gave the Tigers a 73-47 lead entering the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Cobleskill continued to control the pace of the game, outscoring UMPI 25-9. Sierra Goodson (Amsterdam, NY) capped the victory with a pair of three-pointers, as the Tigers cruised to their decisive 99-56 win.

The Fighting Tigers will look to continue their unbeaten streak when they travel to Husson University for a NAC showdown on Saturday, January 18, at 1:00 p.m. in Bangor, Maine.