SUNY Cobleskill Falls Short in Season Opener Against Hartwick, 82-78

COBLESKILL – The SUNY Cobleskill men’s basketball team opened the 2025-26 season with a hard-fought 82-78 loss to the Hawks of Hartwick College on Saturday night inside Iorio Gymnasium.

Second-year guard Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) led the way for the Fighting Tigers with a team-high 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding five rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Senior guard Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY) filled the stat sheet with 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals while knocking down a team-best three three-pointers. Newcomer Spencer Daby (Au Sable Forks, NY) made an immediate impact in his Cobleskill debut with 13 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while big man Andrew Wright (Berne, NY) anchored the paint with 13 points and nine boards on 4-of-7 shooting.

The Tigers shot 34.2 percent from the field compared to Hartwick’s 46.8 percent, with both sides struggling from deep - Cobleskill hitting 31.6 percent to Hartwick’s 33.3 percent. The Tigers capitalized at the free-throw line, going 85.7 percent to the Hawks’ 68.2 percent, and dominated the glass with a 50-42 rebounding edge, including 24 offensive boards that led to 27 second-chance points. Hartwick’s bench, however, proved to be the difference, outscoring Cobleskill’s reserves 31-16.

Cobleskill got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 13-6 lead after a midrange jumper by Daby. Tanksley brought the crowd to its feet with a fastbreak slam that made it 15-9, and the Tigers continued to push the pace, extending their lead to 20-10 following a pair of free throws from Fermin Fabian (Schenectady, NY). Midway through the half, Cobleskill held its largest advantage of the game at 29-16 after Wright sank two from the line.

The Tigers maintained control deep into the first half, with Fabian finishing a fastbreak layup to keep them ahead 38-27 with under three minutes remaining. But Hartwick closed the half on a 12-3 run, trimming the deficit to 41-39 heading into the locker room.

The Hawks carried that momentum into the second half, taking their first lead just 13 seconds in on a three-pointer from Barnwell. After trading baskets early, the game was tied at 46 before Hartwick went on a 12-2 run to take a 58-48 lead with 14 minutes to play. Cobleskill battled back behind Chung and Tanksley, tying the score at 60-all after a smooth midrange jumper from Chung with eight minutes left.

A pair of free throws from Chung gave the Tigers a 67-65 edge at the 5:30 mark, but Hartwick answered with a quick three on the following possession and would not trail again. Cobleskill made a final push in the closing minute, cutting the deficit to 80-78 after another basket from Tanksley with 18 seconds remaining. Forced to foul, the Tigers couldn’t complete the comeback as Hartwick iced the game from the free-throw line to secure the 82-78 win.