Tigers Close Regular Season with 100-92 Road Win at Lesley

CAMBRIDGE MA — The SUNY Cobleskill men’s basketball team closed out the regular season on a high note Saturday evening, earning a 100-92 road victory over Lesley University in Cambridge. With the win, the Fighting Tigers now turn their attention to the North Atlantic Conference postseason.

Bruce Wilder Jr. (Rochester, NY) powered the Cobleskill offense with a game-high 26 points to go with five rebounds and a steal, shooting 10-of-17 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) continued his strong stretch of play with a season-high 21 points, including 15 in the second half, while adding seven rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks. Emilio Nabli (Brooklyn, NY) contributed 13 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists, while Zander Poissant (East Greenbush, NY) posted a career-high 13 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting to go with five rebounds, a block, and a steal. Ryan Nadje and Daniel Penubothula (Valley Stream, NY) each added seven points, with Nadje also pulling down seven rebounds.

Cobleskill put together one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season, shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from three-point range, and 86.7 percent from the free throw line. Lesley also shot well, finishing at 50.0 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from deep. The Tigers controlled the glass, outrebounding the Lynx 45-34, and held a 48-38 advantage in points in the paint. Cobleskill’s depth proved critical as the Tigers’ bench outscored Lesley 44-37.

Cobleskill opened the game with an early 4-0 burst off a Tanksley finish, but Lesley responded to grab the lead in the early minutes. The Tigers answered with an 8-0 run fueled by a Penubothula three-pointer and baskets from Wilder Jr. and Tanksley to regain control at 18-15 midway through the half. A layup from Cameron Rhode (Elmira, NY) helped push the lead to 34-25, and Wilder Jr. later converted an and-one to keep Cobleskill in front by nine with six minutes remaining.

Lesley closed the half with an 8-0 run to tighten the margin to 41-40, but Cobleskill responded with key buckets from MJ Ford (Staten Island, NY) and Poissant to carry a 47-45 advantage into halftime.

The Tigers came out of the break with a barrage from beyond the arc, knocking down four three-pointers from Tanksley, Chrischen Chung (Poughkeepsie, NY), and Wilder Jr. to build a 74-65 lead eight minutes into the second half. Nabli added another triple to keep the momentum rolling, and Wilder Jr. took over shortly after, scoring eight straight points—including back-to-back threes—to give Cobleskill its first double-digit cushion at 86-75 with seven minutes remaining.

Lesley made one final push late, trimming the deficit to 97-92, but Poissant calmly knocked down free throws in the closing moments to seal the win.