Oswego, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's basketball team dropped its season opener on Friday night, falling 84–55 to Union College on the road. Despite a strong start and balanced scoring early, the Wildcats struggled to keep pace with the Garnet Chargers. The Wildcats open their season with a record of 0-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Poly opened the game with energy, as Anthony Rose scored the first basket of the season with a driving layup. Early buckets from Brian Bonin and Kamryn Comstock helped keep the Wildcats even with Union through the opening minutes, tied 8–8 after a Bonin jumper at the 14:53 mark.
Union began to take control midway through the half, using a 15–2 run fueled by Jack Plesser and Pat Cullinan to open up a double-digit lead. A late three-pointer by Luke Lowry and a deep make from Oumaru Hydara gave Poly a brief spark, but the Garnet Chargers closed the half strong to take a 46–24 advantage into the break.
In the second half, the Wildcats found more rhythm offensively. Bonin, Rose, and Comstock each connected inside the paint, while Hydara and Connor Fulkerson added timely baskets to chip into the deficit. A three-pointer from Marqiis Samuels cut the lead to 61–42 with just over 12 minutes remaining, but Union continued to answer on the other end, maintaining control behind another strong stretch from Plesser and Matthew Garside.
The Wildcats continued to battle in the closing minutes, with Hydara and Bonin adding baskets to cap a late scoring push. The Wildcats, however, would not be able to string together enough stops and would fall by a score of 84-55.
"Obviously not the result we were hoping for tonight," head coach Rob Schoener said. "Excited for the opportunity to get back out there tomorrow afternoon and play better!"
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will have a quick turnaround as they will prepare to face off with either the Oswego State Lakers or the Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins on November 8th at 2:00 P.M in Oswego.
