Utica, NY – Three players reached double figures but host SUNY Poly used a strong finish to the first half on its way to a 77-64 win v. the SUNY Canton men's basketball team in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) opener for both teams on Friday evening.

THE BASICS

• Result:  SUNY Poly 77, SUNY Canton 64
• Location: Campus Center Gym – Utica, NY
• Records: SUNY Poly (6-3, 1-0 NAC) | SUNY Canton (1-8, 0-1 NAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Play was extremely even through the first 15 minutes of action as the hosts held a slim 29-28 advantage with 4:26 left in the opening half. The Wildcats closed the half on a 14-5 run to open a double-digit lead at 43-33 at intermission.
• SUNY Poly was able to keep the margin double digits throughout the second half with their lead ballooning to as many as 19 en route to the win.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Quran DuBois led the Roos with 16 points and six rebounds, while DeMerrill Levy and Michael Nunnally scored 10 points apiece. Brennan Harmer chipped in eight points off the bench shooting 2-for-2 from three-point range and hit both of his free throws. JJ Omaga tallied six points on 2-for-4 shooting.
• Jesse O'Dell and Mitch Kernizan registered 17 points each and combined for 16 rebounds for the Wildcats. LJ Randle, Levi Spina and Dylan Ernst all recorded eight points each for the hosts.
• Poly controlled rebounds (41-33), points in the paint (50-36) and fast break points (22-2), while shooting nearly 53% from the field compared to almost 43% for the Roos.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The men's basketball team is back in NAC action on Saturday when they visit Cazenovia College at 3 p.m.     
   
About SUNY Canton
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.