Pioneers and Roos Battle in Another Classic
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
SUNY Canton (14-8) | 36 | 30 | 66 |
|
Alfred St. (9-13) | 42 | 21 | 63 |
For the second time in two weeks, Alfred State and SUNY Canton battled to a contest that wasn't decided until the final seconds. Friday night, the Roos rallied back from an early deficit and held on for a 66-63 victory.
The blue & gold came out of the gate firing and raced out to a 27-8 lead in the first 8:40 of the game. Canton got going and chipped into the lead and trailed only by six, 42-36, at halftime. The Roos scored the eight points of the 2nd half to grab the lead and the game was tight the rest of the way. Canton's biggest lead was 59-54 with just under five left in the game.
Sam Annorh made a foul shot with 33 seconds remaining to give Canton a 64-60 lead but Dante Jordan (New York/Law & Public Service) completed a three-point play with 20 seconds left to make it a one-point game. The Pioneers had a chance to tie or take the lead but turned the ball over and missed a foul shot in their next two possessions. Annorh hit two foul shots with 10.9 seconds left to make it a 66-63 game. The blue & gold had one last possession but turned the ball over before getting a shot off.
Justin Wallace (Mt. Vernon/Mt. St. Michael) hit five 3-pointers and led the Pioneers with 17 points. Marquis Edwards (Queens/In Tech Academy) chipped in 12 and Tyrone Davis (Brooklyn/Benjamin Banneker) finished with 10 points, eight assists, and seven boards. Jordan chipped in nine points and eight rebounds.
The Pioneers shot 50% in the 1st half but shot only 23.5% in the 2nd. They finished the day 26 for 70 from the field, connected on 8 of their 17 three-point attempts, and hit 3 of 5 foul shots.
Annorh led the way for Canton (14-8) with 23 points and seven assists. Romario Fletcher recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Rashad Richardson had 10. The Roos shot 41.4% from the field, 32% from three, and hit only 10 of 24 foul shot attempts.
The Pioneers are right back on the court tomorrow afternoon when they host SUNY Delhi in their final home game of the 2016-17 season. Opening tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
