Oswego, NY – Senior Sam Annorh (Queens, NY) poured in a game-high 31 points to lead the SUNY Canton men's basketball team to an 85-77 victory in their season-opener v. Elmira College at the Max Ziel Tournament on Friday.

Annorh finished with 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting and added a game-high seven rebounds to go with six assists. Adrian Williams (Brooklyn, NY) recorded a career-high 17 points hitting on four three-pointers, while Victor Bakre (Bronx, NY) and Romario Fletcher (Queens, NY) also finished in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

The win was the first victory for first year Head Coach Ben Thompson.

Henry Cuffee led the Soaring Eagles (0-2) with 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, while Anthony Abate was the only other Elmira player in double figures with 13 points.

Elmira jumped out to a 28-15 lead after a Hayden Harkins trey 6:53 in. With the Soaring Eagles leading 37-27 with 8:43 to play in the opening half the Roos made their run. Canton closed the half on an impressive 23-6 spurt to take a seven point lead at 50-43 into intermission.

"Tonight was a learning experience for our team," Thompson said. "We came out very flat, some of which may have been first game jitters, but I am proud of how we battled back."

SUNY Canton extended its lead to as many as 10 early in the half before Elmira stormed all the way back to take a 72-69 lead after a Cuffee three-pointer and layup with 4:58 remaining. Williams responded with a long ball at the other end to tie the game for Canton.

Annorh added a bucket in the paint on the ensuing possession and Bakre converted four points on two free throws and a layup over the next two possessions to open up a 78-75 advantage. A Cuffee lay-in got the Soaring Eagles within one at 78-77 with 2:23 to play but the Roos scored the final seven points of the contest including a block and slam from Fletcher to close out the win.

"The resiliency of this team to fight through this game is a testament to who they are," Thompson said. "We are happy to have won through difficult circumstances and will use this opportunity to grow as a group."

The Roos will face host Oswego State in the championship game of the Max Ziel Tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Lakers defeated SUNY Maritime in the other opening round contest on Friday. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the SUNY Canton Athletics department by "liking" us on Facebook and "following" our Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts.

About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses, as well as 10 exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 15 athletic teams compete as members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.