Canton, NY – Lateef Johnson Jr. scored 23 points in his penultimate game of the season, and the SUNY Canton men's basketball team used a 14-0 run in the second half to down the Buffalo State Bengals 78-68 Friday night.

THE BASICS

• Result: SUNY Canton 78, Buffalo State 68
• Location: Stan Cohen Court – Canton, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (6-18, 5-12 SUNYAC) | Buffalo State (9-16, 5-12 SUNYAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• It was a strong offensive start on both sides as halfway through the first half, the game was knotted at 21. Lateef Johnson Jr. and Edram Gbekou had eight points each to lead a hot shooting SUNY Canton team who started 8-for-14 from the field.
• The Roos pulled ahead 31-25 for their largest margin in the first half thanks to a free throw made by Eugene Johnson Jr., and later, Bryon Streb made it 39-30 with a three pointer.
• However, the Bengals rattled off seven straight points to conclude the first half, and the Roos were only ahead 39-37 at halftime. Both Lateef Johnson Jr. and Edram Gbekou were in double-digits in the points column with 11 each.
• Shooting cooled off for the Roos a bit at the start of the second half, and Buffalo State ended up doubling the Roos 18-9 to begin the latter 20 minutes and take a 55-48 advantage with 13:48 left in the game.
• However, the Roos did not falter and put in 14 straight points after this led by Jahdueir Reese with six. The Bengals did not get any points in nearly five straight minutes as the Roos took a 62-55 lead.
• This run was all it took for SUNY Canton. The Bengals made it a tad bit sketchy by trimming it to 70-66 with just over two minutes left to play, but Lateef Johnson Jr. then scored a big layup and the Roos pulled ahead by 10 points a bit later, their first double-digit advantage of the game, going on to win by that margin.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Lateef Johnson Jr. once again paced the Roos with 23 points, nine rebounds, and five dimes. Edram Gbekou knocked in 15 points and five rebounds.
• In addition to Lateef Johnson Jr. and Gbekou, Sean Quinn scored 11 off the bench while Jahdeuir Reese put in 10 and grabbed eight rebounds.
• Buffalo State, who entered the game without a single player averaging more than 8.5 points per game, had extremely balanced scoring with at eight scoring at least five and the only two double-digit scorers coming off the bench in Jamel Scott and Brendyn Cheng.
• Shooting numbers were nearly identical with the Roos at 42% (29-69) and the Bengals at 40% (24-60). However, the Roos had more rebounds (43-37), interior scoring with points in the paint (40-28), and second chance points (16-8). 

WHAT'S NEXT?
SUNY Canton will wrap up their season tomorrow, February 21 against the Fredonia Blue Devils.   
   

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.