Box Score (Canton, N.Y.)- Vonallen Pickett (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored a season-high 28 points, 20 coming in the second half, as the SUNY Canton men's basketball team lost to Alfred University 80-72 in overtime Friday night in Canton.

Box Score

The final two minute of regulation was a frenzy of action as both teams had terrific opportunities to keep the game from going an extra period.  The Saxons had erased a five-point lead and jumped ahead by two points with just over two minutes remaining but on the Roos next possession Khalid Vaughn (New York, N.Y.) drove through the lane and dished a beautiful pass to Irving Cato (New York, N.Y.) for a layup to tie the game.  The Saxons misfired from deep on their next possession as Cato grabbed a key defensive rebound giving the Roos one final chance before the buzzer.

Pickett drove to the basket from the left wing but his shot bounced off the back of the iron.  Cato muscled his way into the lane and corralled another rebound and was fouled on an attempted put back with 2.9 seconds left.  Cato's first free throw hit every part of the rim before falling off and his second attempt came up just short.  There was some confusion after the ball went out of bounds about who would get possession and in the end the Saxons were awarded the ball and one final shot from just inside half court which missed wide at the buzzer.

Pickett nailed a 3-pointer from the wing on the Roos first possession of overtime after Alfred went up by three on their first possession tying the game for the final time.  After the Roos came up empty on several offensive possesions, the Saxons converted eight of nine free throws over the final two minutes of overtime to hold off the Roos.

SUNY Canton (4-3) shot 43 percent from the floor and converted 12 of 17 free throw attempts (70%).

Pickett shot 10-for-18 from the floor and 6 of 8 from the free throw line in one of the finest performances of his rookie campaign.  The freshman also had seven rebounds in 37 minutes of action.

Cato finished with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists.  Woody Jules (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 10 points and five rebounds and Vaughn ended the night with eight points and two rebounds.

Sean Curran fired in seven triples to finish with 23 points for the Saxons.  Mike Branche added 19 points and eight rebounds for Alfred.

The Roos hit the road this Sunday to take on Albany College of Pharmacy and then wrap up the first semester on Dec. 10 with a home game against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.