Albany, N.Y. — The SUNY Poly men's basketball team battled through 45 minutes of  action on Tuesday night but came up just short, falling 85–77 in overtime to the Russell Sage Gators. The loss puts the Wildcats at 10-3 on the season. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

SUNY Poly opened the game aggressively, attacking the paint early behind Kamryn Comstock and Marqiis Samuels. Comstock converted a fastbreak layup to give the Wildcats the first basket of the night, and SUNY Poly controlled the glass in the opening minutes, generating multiple second-chance opportunities.

The opening half was tightly contested, with both teams trading baskets inside. Samuels and Anthony Rose provided steady scoring for the Wildcats, while Sage countered with strong interior play and fastbreak finishes. After SUNY Poly briefly took a 10–7 lead midway through the half, Sage responded with a run fueled by transition offense and perimeter shooting.

Despite the shift in momentum, the Wildcats stayed within striking distance. Brian Bonin knocked down a jumper, Oumaru Hydara added a strong finish in the paint, and Rose converted a pair of layups to keep SUNY Poly close. Late in the half, Samuels caught fire, scoring repeatedly in the paint and at the free-throw line as the Wildcats trimmed the deficit to just three. SUNY Poly went into the locker room trailing 35–32 after closing the half on a strong push.

SUNY Poly came out of the break with energy, and William Scanlon wasted no time tying the game with a three-pointer less than a minute into the second half. The Wildcats briefly seized momentum, but Sage answered with timely shooting to regain the lead.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle. Samuels continued to attack the rim, Comstock finished through contact, and Bonin drilled a three-pointer to tie the game at 44–44 with just over 14 minutes remaining. Anthony Rose later gave SUNY Poly the lead with a deep three at the 12:27 mark, pushing the Wildcats ahead 47–44.

Neither team could pull away down the stretch. Hydara provided a spark off the bench, knocking down a pair of three-pointers to keep SUNY Poly in front, while Sage answered with baskets in transition and at the line. With under two minutes remaining, Rose converted a tough layup to put SUNY Poly ahead 66–64.

Sage responded with a layup in the final seconds to tie the game at 66–66, sending the contest to overtime.

In the extra period, Sage struck first and maintained control with aggressive drives and efficient free-throw shooting. SUNY Poly stayed competitive behind baskets from Hydara and Samuels, but Sage capitalized on late turnovers and extended the lead at the line. Despite a late layup from Hydara, the Wildcats were unable to close the gap as Sage sealed the 85–77 overtime victory.

"Tough one tonight, Sage is good and they are relentless," said head coach Rob Schoener. "When you have the opportunity to finish a game you have to take it. We'll learn from tonight and get better."