Canton, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly Wildcats earned a hard-fought 65–57 victory over the SUNY Canton Kangaroos on Friday night, using a strong second-half push and a balanced offensive effort to secure the road victory. The win lifts the Wildcats record to 3-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Canton came out firing, opening the game on a 7–0 run behind early buckets from Bryon Streb and Hansen Bagdonas. SUNY Poly settled in after a 30-second timeout, responding with a 9–0 surge sparked by back-to-back jumpers from Brian Bonin and a three from Kamryn Comstock to take their first lead of the night.
From there, the first half became a back-and-forth battle. SUNY Canton briefly pushed ahead behind transition scoring from Jahdeiur Reese, but the Wildcats continued to answer. Anthony Rose kept SUNY Poly within striking distance by attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line, scoring several key points in the final minutes. With SUNY Canton holding a slim 28–27 lead in the closing seconds, Rose knocked down a jumper with six seconds left to send the Wildcats into halftime with a 29–28 advantage.
SUNY Poly carried that momentum into the second half. Rose threw down a fastbreak dunk early in the period, and Bonin followed with a mid-range jumper as the Wildcats began to find their rhythm offensively. SUNY Canton kept it close, tying and retaking the lead several times, highlighted by a three from Streb to make it 44–41.
The turning point came midway through the half when SUNY Poly's defense tightened, forcing a series of Canton turnovers. Rose and Bonin capitalized with transition layups, and a putback from Oumaru Hydara helped the Wildcats regain control. Alec Bartone provided a major spark defensively, recording multiple blocks that killed Canton's momentum inside.
Down the stretch, Rose took over. He scored several key baskets in the lane, including a jumper at the 8:17 mark to push Poly ahead. The Wildcats closed the game on a composed defensive stand, limiting the Roos to one shot per possession while knocking down timely buckets to seal the 65–57 win.
"Proud of our guys tonight," said head coach Rob Schoener. "On our second long road trip of the week, we didn't play particularly well, but in the last five minutes we showed some grit and found a way."
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will be on home court for the first time this season, as they will square off with the Clarkson University Golden Knights on November 22nd at 3:00 P.M.
