Utica, N.Y. — The SUNY Poly men's basketball team turned in a strong offensive performance Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 92–72 victory over SUNY Potsdam. The Wildcats used a balanced scoring attack and a strong second-half effort to pull away from the Bears, securing the 20-point win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Potsdam jumped out to an early advantage, opening the game with a 5–0 run behind a pair of baskets from Nicholas Cortez. SUNY Poly quickly settled in, as Marqiis Samuels and Oumaru Hydara answered with finishes inside to keep the Wildcats within striking distance. Alec Bartone provided an early spark off the bench, adding a dunk and a pair of baskets in the paint as Poly continued to work its way back.
After trading baskets through the opening minutes, the Wildcats began to find their rhythm offensively. Steven Dowdall connected from beyond the arc off an assist from Kamryn Comstock, before Kyle Dhu converted a pair of free throws to bring Poly closer. Samuels followed with a fastbreak layup, and Maddox Hughey added two free throws to push the Wildcats first lead of the night to 21–18.
SUNY Poly continued to build momentum, getting strong contributions throughout the lineup. Comstock and Hydara added baskets inside, while Samuels knocked down a three-pointer and continued to attack the basket. Hydara was particularly effective in the paint, scoring multiple times during the stretch to help the Wildcats extend their advantage.
The Wildcats' offensive momentum carried through the remainder of the half. Samuels added another three-point play, Dowdall finished inside, and Comstock converted a layup off a Samuels assist. Hydara continued to provide a presence around the basket, scoring twice in the final minutes as SUNY Poly built a nine-point cushion. Dhu converted two free throws with 26 seconds remaining to send the Wildcats into halftime leading 46–37.
SUNY Poly picked up right where they left off after the break. Hydara opened the second-half scoring with a basket inside before adding a three-pointer off an assist from Dowdall. Comstock followed with a tip-in, and Samuels connected from beyond the arc to push the Wildcats' advantage to 56–44. The defensive effort also helped Poly maintain control, limiting the Bears' opportunities to put together a sustained run.
Hydara and Samuels continued to lead the offensive attack as the Wildcats extended their advantage. Samuels scored consecutive baskets inside, while Hydara added multiple finishes in the paint to help Poly push its lead into double digits. Dhu and Comstock also contributed, keeping the Bears from gaining any significant momentum as the second half progressed.
With Potsdam attempting to close the gap, SUNY Poly continued to answer. Samuels finished inside off a Comstock assist, and Hughey provided an emphatic dunk off a pass from Owen Dake. Hughey remained active around the basket, adding another finish inside before Dhu set him up for an additional layup. Dowdall then connected from three-point range to extend the Wildcats' advantage to 83–64 with under five minutes remaining.
The Wildcats continued to put the game out of reach down the stretch. Hydara converted a three-point play, while Hughey added another basket inside to push the lead to 88–66. After Potsdam added a pair of free throws, Jake Maendel provided the final highlight for Poly, knocking down a three-pointer off an assist from Connor Fulkerson with under a minute remaining. SUNY Poly closed out the contest with a convincing 92–72 victory.
"It was great to get back out there in front of our home crowd tonight, and get this season going.," said head coach Rob Schoener. "We got contributions from everybody tonight! I'm excited to get back to work and prepare for Friday."
