SUNY Cobleskill Mens Basketball Team Falls in Overtime to Hunter College 130-128

In a game that resembled a NBA Western Division contest, the SUNY Cobleskill men’s basketball team returned to action on Saturday afternoon losing at the buzzer to the visiting Hawks of Hunter College in non-conference action by a 130-128 margin in overtime. With the overtime loss the Fighting Tigers are now 0-5 overall on the campaign while the Hawks improve to 2-3 overall on the year. 

Facing an up-tempo Hawk attack that featured a full-court trapping style of play with hockey style shift substitutions every 30 to 45 seconds, the Fighting Tigers found themselves trailing ny 18 points at 84-66 with 15:07 remaining to play in regulation before rallying to tie the score at 106-106 with 5:33 left to play on a lay-up by Shaun Johnson, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Poughkeepsie High School.  

Down the stretch the teams traded the lead several times with Cobleskill trailing 117-115 with 20 seconds left when sophomore forward Naphtali Regilus, Roselle, N.J., Abraham Clark High School/Essex Community College, was fouled going to the basket. Reguilus then converted a pair of free throws to tie the contest at 117-117 which led to overtime.  

In a sea saw overtime period, the Fighting Tigers found themselves once again trailing 128-126 when first-year swingman Yandeel Vazquez, Amsterdam, N.Y., Amsterdam High School, converted a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to tie the score for the ninth time at 128-128.  

However, a comeback victory for the home team was not in the cards as the Hawks pushed the ball up the floor with sophomore forward Cole Earley, Shanghai, China, Andrews Osborne Academy, hitting a fall-a-way jumper from 13 feet as the buzzer sounded to give the visitors the victory. 

Yandeel Vazquez turned in an impressive effort for the Fighting Tigers in defeat with a game high of 33 points to go with seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals with senior forward Juwan Malone, Brooklyn, N.Y., Brooklyn Collegiate High School/Fulton-Montgomery Community College, hitting for 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Shaun Johnson also played a major role in the game for the home team with 23 points, four rebounds and three steals. 

Cobleskill had several other notable efforts as Naphtali Regilus scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, senior point guard Mike McKoy, Charlotte, N.C., Statesville Christian High School, posting his first career double/double with 11 points, 11 assists along with three steals and first-year guard Ja’Nyve Smith, Albany, N.Y., Bishop Maginn High School, hitting for 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.     

The Orange & Black will next be in action when they travel to Troy, N.Y. on Tuesday November 23 for a pre-Thanksgiving meeting with the Engineers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with tip-off at 7:00 p.m.