Tigers Use Strong Start and Late Stop to Beat Thomas 60-58

Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) records 17 points & 10 rebounds double-double in Tigers win. Photo by Saro Karageozian

COBLESKILL – The SUNY Cobleskill men’s basketball team raced out to a 21-2 lead in the opening minutes and then leaned on another last-possession defensive stand to hold off Thomas College, securing a 60-58 North Atlantic Conference victory Sunday afternoon inside the Iorio Gymnasium.

Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) continued his strong weekend with a double-double, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds while shooting an efficient 5-of-8 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 at the free-throw line. Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) turned in an all-around performance with 11 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Conor Holland (Marathon, NY) contributed eight points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks, while senior Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY) added six points, six rebounds and three assists.

In a defensive-minded contest, Cobleskill shot 27.1 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from three, but capitalized at the line by converting 79.2 percent of its free throws. Thomas shot 30.9 percent overall, 31.6 percent from deep and 58.8 percent at the stripe. The Tigers won the rebounding battle 50-46 and received a boost from the bench, outscoring the Terriers 13-9. Thomas forced 14 Cobleskill turnovers that resulted in 17 points, while the Tigers limited their own miscues to seven points off turnovers. Cobleskill also shared the ball well, finishing with 12 assists.

Cobleskill wasted no time setting the tone, opening the game on an 8-0 run behind three-pointers from Cameron Rhode and Holland. The Tigers kept their foot on the gas, using a 13-0 surge to jump out to a commanding 21-2 advantage, with Holland and Tanksley knocking down timely shots from beyond the arc. Thomas trimmed the margin to 29-19 late in the half, but Wright answered with a strong finish inside. A pair of free throws from MJ Ford (Staten Island, NY) helped Cobleskill take a 35–25 lead into halftime.

Thomas came out of the break with renewed energy, using a 7-3 run to cut the deficit to 38-32 before pulling within one possession at 40-38. Ford swung momentum back in Cobleskill’s favor with a three, but the Terriers continued to chip away and eventually took their first lead of the game, 44–-3, following a 6-0 run with 10 minutes to play. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, as a jumper from Emilio Nabli (Brooklyn, NY) briefly put the Tigers back in front before Thomas tied the game at 47-47.

Cobleskill regained control late as Tanksley buried a three and Wright converted an and-one to make it 55-49 with just under six minutes remaining. Thomas answered again, but Chung delivered a clutch three to keep the Tigers ahead, 60-55, with one minute on the clock. The Terriers knocked down a three of their own to cut it to 60-58, and after a missed free throw gave Thomas a chance on the final possession, Cobleskill’s defense rose to the moment once more, forcing a stop to seal the home win.

Up Next:

The Fighting Tigers return to action on Friday, January 16, when they host Maine Maritime Academy for a 5:30 p.m. NAC matchup in the Iorio Gymnasium.