Oneonta, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's basketball team earned their fourth consecutive victory, defeating the Hartwick Hawks 79-63. Kamryn Comstock led the Wildcats with 18 points and nine rebounds, while senior guard LaMarqus Merchant Jr. reached a career milestone, scoring his 1,000th career point. With the win, the Wildcats improve to 11-6 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Wildcats came out strong to start the game, with LaMarqus Merchant Jr. and William Scnalon hitting early shots to give SUNY Poly the advantage. Hartwick quickly found their rhythm behind Mike Gitz and Brian Bonin, staying within striking distance throughout the first half. The teams traded baskets for much of the period, with key contributions from Elijah Smith and Cheickne Toure for SUNY Poly. The Wildcats built a small lead late in the half, but Hartwick kept the game close, narrowing the gap. Despite a late push from the Hawks, SUNY Poly held a slim 40-36 lead at the break.

The second half began with SUNY Poly asserting control. Daimarr Miller and LaMarqus Merchant Jr. helped the Wildcats extend their lead, capitalizing on Hartwick's mistakes and missed opportunities. A brief 3-pointer by the Hawks pulled them back within five, but SUNY Poly responded with a fastbreak three from Merchant Jr. and a dunk from Anthony Rose, stretching their lead to 60-44 with just under 13 minutes to go. The Wildcats continued to dominate, using offensive rebounds and fastbreak points to extend their advantage to as much as 18. Hartwick could not keep pace, and SUNY Poly closed out the game with a 79-63 victory.

"Gotta start by congratulating Marqus on scoring his 1,000th career college point tonight," said head coach Rob Schoener. "I'm glad he reached that milestone here at Poly. We played a great second half tonight, and it all started with our defense. We were strong on the glass and got positive contributions from a lot of different guys!"