Northfield, VT – Despite facing what seemed to be an insurmountable 23-point deficit in the second half, the SUNY Canton men's basketball team stormed back and only trailed by three points with 2:44 to go, but the Norwich Cadets came away with the win 87-73 Friday night.  

THE BASICS

• Result: Norwich 87, SUNY Canton 73 
• Location: Andrews Gym – Northfield, VT
• Records: SUNY Canton (0-1) | Norwich (1-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Norwich was ready to go in the home opener, starting with an 18-11 lead in the first ten minutes but a Malaki Smith pull up three with 7:36 to go in the first half put the Roos within one possession with the score at 20-17.
• However, the Cadets started to light it up from the field with a 16-2 run in the next two minutes which put Norwich ahead 38-19.
• Tanner Sullivan, Streb, and Edram Gbekou all scored late, but the Cadets offense showed no signs of slowing down, and took a 46-26 into the half. Smith led the Roos with seven points at the break while Streb had four points, and a team-high six rebounds and two assists.
• Offensively speaking, the Roos looked much better early in the second half with Smith and Chris Nastasi hitting three's right out of the gates.
• A little while after, Eugene Johnson Jr. sparked an 8-0 scoring run for SUNY Canton which pulled them to within 15 with the score at 55-40 with 13:46 left to go.
• Norwich went out ahead 74-53 with 7:20 remaining, but just when it looked like it was over, the Roos made a huge comeback effort. Suddenly, the Roos could not miss, and a 20-2 run ensued with Norwich unable to score and Roos forcing turnovers at the defensive end. Byron Streb led the Roos with seven points in this run to make the game just 76-73 with 2:44 left to play.
• Unfortuately for SUNY Canton though, Norwich was able to connect on shots in the final minutes while the Roos were left empty handed on the offensive end. The Cadets scored the final 11 points of the game and took the 14-point victory as SUNY Canton fell 87-73 to begin the season.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Streb had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists, all of which were top on the team. Smith was the only other double-figure scorer for SUNY Canton with 10 points.  
• Johnson Jr. was highly efficient going 4-for-4 from the field to go along with six rebounds. Scoring depth was on full display for SUNY Canton with nine players recording a field goal and 10 scorers on the night.
• Michael Ndayishimiye led the Cadets with 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Sharif Sharif was second on the team in the scoring department with 17 and Mike Johnson-Correia logged 15 points.
• Both teams shot 47 per cent from the field (28-60) but the three-point line was the difference; Norwich was 52 per cent from deep (14-27) while the Roos were just at 28 per cent (5-18). Rebounds were identical at 37, but the Cadets beat the Roos in assists (13-6), blocked shots (4-0), and only had 11 turnovers while SUNY Canton committed 17.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos will have a local matchup next with a test against the Clarkson Golden Knights in Potsdam on Tuesday, November 11 at 5:30 p.m.  

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.