COBLESKILL MEN POST 73-71 OVER OCC IN REGION III TOURNAMENT

Trailing 70-58 with 9:23 remaining in regulation the SUNY Cobleskill men’s basketball team turned to a vicious full-court man-to-man press to maul the Lazers of Onondaga Community College 15-1 down the stretch to post a 73-71 victory in the Quarterfinals of the 2008 NJCAA Region III Division III Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament hosted by Herkimer Community College in Herkimer, NY on Friday. The victory pushes the number four seeded Fighting Tigers record to 23-7 on the year and ends the number five seeded Lazers season at 22-9.

Senior power forward Anthony Armstrong, Schenectady, NY, Schenectady High School, gave Cobleskill its first lead of the evening with 1:13 left to play by hitting a five-foot right handed jump-hook from the middle of the paint to cap the Fighting Tiger comeback at 72-71. Armstrong who finished the contest with 23 points and nine rebounds scored eight of the Fighting Tigers last 11 points to secure the victory.  

The Fighting Tigers received double figure scoring performances from senior forward Stanley Francois, Valley Cottage, NY, Valley Cottage High School, who tossed in 13 points and took down seven rebounds, freshman guard Nyquan Bellamy, Poughkeepsie, NY, Poughkeepsie High School, who scored 12 points and from freshman guard Matt Williams, Mt. Kisco, NY, Fox Lane High School, who added 10 points on the night. Also turning in stellar efforts for the Orange & Black were senior point guard Harley Fuller, Gloversville, NY, Gloversville High School, who scored two points, passed out six assists and made three steals and freshman guard Michael Knight, Spring Valley, NY, Spring Valley High School, who added seven points, five rebounds and three steals.

“We didn’t do much right in the first half and to be honest it seemed that every time we got to within seven points things went horribly wrong,” said Head Coach Kevin McCarthy. “We told our guys that if they wanted to win they had to play through adversity and when we went to the full-court pressure things turned around for us. I think when we pushed the pace of the game Onondaga made bad decisions, rushed their shots and threw the ball away. The way we came back makes this a very satisfying win but now we have to deal with Hudson Valley tomorrow so we don’t have much time to enjoy things.”

The Fighting Tigers will meet the tournament’s number on seed the nation’s number one ranked and unbeaten, 30-0, Vikings of Hudson Valley Community College in the tournament’s semifinal round beginning at 1:00 PM at Herkimer Community College in Herkimer, NY.