Canton, NY – Malaki Smith drained a game-winning three pointer with 29 seconds left, and the SUNY Canton men's basketball team got their first SUNYAC win with a 89-87 victory over the Potsdam Bears on Saturday.  

THE BASICS

• Result: SUNY Canton 89, Potsdam 87
• Location: Stan Cohen Court – Canton, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (2-10, 1-4 SUNYAC) | Plattsburgh (1-10, 1-3 SUNYAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Roos had a great start right out of the gates as they went ahead 9-2 with threes from Smith, Lateef Johnson Jr. and Chris Nastasi.
• SUNY Canton's efficient offense continued, and the Roos maintained their lead throughout the half. Jahdeuir Reese had a steal followed by a fastbreak layup which gave the Roos an 11-point lead with nine minutes to play, 28-17.
• An 8-0 run from the visiting side knotted the contest at 35 with 2:30 left, but Edram Gbekou and Reese both recorded four points in the final couple of minutes, and SUNY Canton headed into halftime with a 45-42 lead.
• Potsdam got out in front early in the second half and controlled a slim lead through most of the first eight minutes. However, the Roos got on a 9-0 run with five points from Gbekou and four points by Castrello and went ahead 63-57 with 10:36 remaining.
• SUNY Canton went on a nice stretch for the next several minutes, going ahead 80-71 with four minutes remaining.
• The Bears did not go quietly, drawing fouls, making open shots, and eventually knotting the game at 85. The Roos had a couple turnovers, and two free throws at the other end gave Potsdam an 87-85 advantage with 42 seconds left.
• The Roos had a little fumble for the basketball against the immense ball pressure of the Bears, and after a scramble for the ball, Smith recovered, dribbled up to the three-point line, and drilled a three as the Roos went out ahead 88-87 with 29 seconds left.
• The SUNY Canton defense was able to get a stop in clutch time, Smith only hit one of two free throws after a Potsdam foul, but it did not matter as Potsdam's potential game-winning three was off the mark in the final seconds in the Roos SUNYAC opening win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Gbekou more than doubled his previous career-high of 11 with 23 points, most of these coming from the free throw line where the Quebec City native went 13-15.
• Reese scored 13 points and led the team in assists with four. Smith registered 12 points, connecting on three of his six three point tries and Castrello scored 10 points and gave the Roos five rebounds and two assists.
• Ethan Baksh on the losing side led all scorers in the game with 26 points and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Mike Hancock scored 19 and Bobby Kemokai had 14.
• Both sides were at 43% shooting wise. In a game with 78 total free throws, the Roos were 23-for-34 and the Bears were 28-for-44 and missing some key foul shots down the stretch. SUNY Canton outscored Potsdam 49-23 on bench points, 18-10 on points off turnovers, and 25-20 on the fastbreak.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos will look to keep it rolling in a road contest against the New Paltz Hawks on Tuesday, January 13 at 7:30 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.