Cobleskill, NY - Saturday's North Atlantic Conference men's basketball game between Vermont State University Lyndon and the State University of New York at Cobleskill was essentially a play-in for the NAC Championship Tournament. The winner would earn a berth in the quarterfinals, while the loser would see their season come to an end. With post-season on the line it was the Hornets who led nearly wire to wire and came away with a 73-59 victory. Lyndon improved to 8-17 on the season and concluded NAC play at 4-9. The eight wins marks the most by a Lyndon team since 2013-14. Cobleskill concluded their season at 5-18, with a 2-11 record in conference.
Deshawn Ford's (Fort Walton Beach, FL) tip-in basket and Matt Doyle's (Whitesboro, NY) steal and basket gave Lyndon a quick 4-0 lead. After two Jermaine Wheeler baskets tied the game, a quick 11-2 Lyndon run capped by a Ford dunk and free throw put the Hornets in front, 15-6. Lyndon pushed theri advantage to double figures when Wesley McIntyre (Troy, NY) scored, got fouled, and made the free throw to make it 29-18 with 6;30 to go in th opening half. With Lyndon leading 37-26, Cobleskill scored the final five points of the half to send the teams to the locker rooms with Lyndon ahead by six.
Tyler Cooper (Sterling, NY) scored the first basket of the second half to push the lead back to eight points, but Cobleskill responded with a 9-3 run to cut the lead to two at 42-40 with 15:17 to go. the Hornets responded with a run of their own, and two Victor Kukta Reyes (Fitchburg, MA) free throws made it an eight point game again at the 12:35 mark.
With Lyndon leading by nine, 58-49, following another Ford dunk, Quanire Greene, Chalik Rush, and Wheeler strung together baskets to bring the Tigers within three at 58-55 with 4:45 to go. Ford's layup on the next possession made it a five point game again, With the Hornets still up five, Cooper connected on a huge three-pointer to stretch the lead to eight. Greene answered with a jumper in the lane, but Tyler Bergmans (Vergennes, VT) found Ford for a layup, then Cooper connected on another three ball, triggering a game closing 8-0 run to secure the win for Lyndon.
Ford led the way for the Hornets, notching a double double with 17 points and ten rebounds. Bergmans added 15 points and seven boards and Cooper finished in double figures with 14 points. Doyle matched Ford with ten rebounds and Kukta Reyes dished out four assists.
Wheeler pacced Cobleskill with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Elijah Morris added 13 points, with 11 coming in the first half. Marquay Tanksley scored 11 points and grabbed eight boards.
With the win, the Hornets clinched the #3 seed in the NAC West division. Lyndon will play Vermont State Universiyt Johnson in a quarterfinal contest on Friday evening. That game will be played at NAC West regular season champion State University of New York at Delhi. Game times and full tournament details will be nnounced by the conference office early next week.
