Chestnut Hill, MA – All five starters scored in double figures as the SUNY Canton men's basketball team outscored host Pine Manor College by 14 after halftime to earn an 84-71 win in the American College Athletic Association (ACAA) Championship game on Sunday afternoon.

The Roos (19-8), winners of nine straight and 14 of their last 15, led by as many as nine in the opening half including holding a 28-19 advantage with six minutes to play after Walt Jeter found Romario Fletcher for a bucket inside. The hosts closed the half on a 18-6 run to take a slim, 37-36 advantage into intermission.

Sam Annorh and Fletcher paced the Roos with nine points apiece in the opening half, while Ibu Smith added eight points. Rasheed Bell led the Gators (16-9) with 12 points, while Ellis Reid and Taverick Robinson posted 10 points apiece.

Leading 46-45 early in the second half, the Roos went on a 9-0 run to open a double-digit advantage after an old-fashioned three-point play from Fletcher. The Gators never got closer than six the remainder of the way as the Roos earned the win.   

Fletcher led all players with 24 points and 16 rebounds, while Annorh posted 21 points. Jeter and Smith both recorded double-doubles with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 points and 10 rebounds, respectively. Adrian Williams tallied 11 points as all five starters finished in double figures, while Rashad Richardson netted seven points.

"Our guys were incredible today," Head Coach Ben Thompson said. "They played their hearts out. To be the first ACAA Conference Champions is a huge honor. Today is a memory that I will never forget!"

Rasheed Bell paced the Gators with 16 points, while Ellis Reid recorded a double-double on 14 points and a game-high 19 rebounds. Taverick Roberson (14) and Chancie Williams (10) also scored in double figures.

Romario Fletcher was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, while Sam Annorh and Rashad Richardson were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
 

All-Tournament Team
CANTON: Romario Fletcher, MVP
CANTON: Sam Annorh
CANTON: Rashad Richardson
PMC: Rasheed Bell
PMC: Ellis Reed
Alfred State: Marcus Rhett

The men's basketball team will await to see if it receives a bid from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) for their playoff tournament. Bids are expected to be announced at some point on Monday. 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.