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Wildcats, Kangaroos men's basketball advance in North Country Invite

Posted 11/21/15

POTSDAM, N.Y.—SUNY Poly (1-1) and SUNY Canton (1-0) each earned victories in the first round of the North Country Invitational on Friday night. The Wildcats defeated the SUNY Potsdam men's …

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Wildcats, Kangaroos men's basketball advance in North Country Invite

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POTSDAM, N.Y.—SUNY Poly (1-1) and SUNY Canton (1-0) each earned victories in the first round of the North Country Invitational on Friday night. The Wildcats defeated the SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (0-3) 75-63 in the evening finale. In the opener, the Kangaroos downed Clarkson University (0-3) 62-46.

The Bears and Wildcats stayed even for the first six minutes. At 13:25, freshman guard Dante Langley (Schuylerville, N.Y./Schuylerville) sank two free throws to start a 9-4 run. At 9:36, freshman guard Tyrone Adeyeye (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Benneker) hit a jumper to give Potsdam its biggest lead of the contest at 18-13. Two free throws from SUNY Poly senior guard Michael Boyea (Chateauguay, N.Y./Chateauguay) capped an 11-5 stretch and gave the Wildcats a 24-23 lead with 4:17 left in the half. They never trailed again. Two minutes later, Bears senior guard Mitch Lamerson (Dansville, N.Y./Dansville) drained a 3-pointer to get Potsdam within 28-27, but SUNY Poly recorded the last two buckets of the half and took a 32-27 advantage into the locker room.

The Wildcats added two more field goals to extend their lead to nine before senior guard Joe Estramonte (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich) answered with a three. Sophomore forward Josh Blagrove (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Ford) followed with a layup to close the gap to 36-32 with 16:41 to play. SUNY Poly stretched its lead back to eight before Estramonte and Blagrove answered again in the same fashion to make it a 40-37 contest. The Wildcats then put the game out of reach with a 20-7 run over the next 5:38 to build a 60-45 advantage with 6:26 left. A three-point play from senior guard Marquis Lee (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) got Potsdam within 10 with 51 seconds to play, but SUNY Poly went on to the 75-63 win.

Blagrove, Langley and Estramonte each finished with a team-high 12 points. Adeyeye chipped in eight points. Junior forward Quayshaun Mitchell (Harlem, N.Y./GCA) had a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats. SUNY Poly Terrynce Wilson (Bronx, N.Y./South Bronx) score 18 and Boyea finished with 15.

Canton grabbed the lead from Clarkson just 1:48 into the contest and never trailed again. Golden Knight senior guard Felix Abongo (Beacon, N.Y./Iona Prep) hit a 3-pointer to get Clarkson within 15-14 with 14:19 left in the first half. However, the Roos closed the opening 20 minutes on a 25-12 run, including four straight points from junior guard Sam Annorh (Queens, N.Y./Pathways College), for a 37-26 halftime lead.

Canton pulled away in the second half. Roos freshman guard Adrian Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Collegiate) knocked down a three to give Canton its biggest lead of the contest at 53-32 with 9:11 remaining. Clarkson outscored the Roos 13-9 the rest of the way before falling 62-46.

Canton outshot Clarkson 48-percent to 33 from the field and outrebounded the Golden Knights 39-33. Annorh finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists to lead the Roos. Junior forward Romario Fletcher (Queens, N.Y./Pathways College) added 11 points and seven boards, while senior guard Khalil Bratton (Queens, N.Y./Channel View) also reached double digits with 10. Junior forward Derek Hart (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) led Clarkson with 15 points and five rebounds and Abongo finished with 12 and recorded the 1,000th point of his career.

The Bears will now face the Golden Knights in the consolation game at 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and the Wildcats will battle the Roos for the title at 3 p.m.