Meadville, PA – The SUNY Canton men's basketball team trailed by just two points at intermission but a strong second half from host Allegheny College earned the Gators a 73-64 victory on Sunday in the championship game of the 2014 Greg Richards Memorial Tournament.
SUNY Canton earned their first lead five minutes into the game whenScott Bartenstein (Potsdam, NY) converted a layup in transition. The Roos opened up an early five point lead after using a 6-0 run that included the bucket from Bartenstein and baskets in the paint fromRomario Fletcher (Queens, NY) and Tyler Ellison (New York, NY).
After four ties the Roos used another spurt, this time a 7-0 run, to take their largest lead of the game after a Bartenstein three-pointer to lead 29-22 with 4:56 left in the opening half. The Gators closed the half scoring 11 of the final 13 points of the period to lead 33-31 at intermission.
The Roos tied the game at 34 apiece early in the second half after a Fletcher fast break basket but the Gators exploded on a 16-3 run to take a commanding 13 point lead with 11:56 remaining. SUNY Canton hung tough battling back with 12 straight points to get within 50-49 with 8:44 left. Ellison had five points including an old-fashioned three-point play to start the run, while Bratton also added two hoops during the spurt.
SUNY Canton got within a single point on two other occasions but the host Gators were able to hold off the comeback down the stretch prevailing, 73-64.
Sam Annorh was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Bratton led the way for the Roos with his second double-double in as many games with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Annorh added 11 points and six assists, while Ellison finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Bartenstein and Adam Felt(Lisbon, NY) tallied nine points each, combining to hit five treys. Fletcher posted eight points and seven rebounds.
SUNY Canton held edges in rebounds (50-45) and fast break points (12-4), while Allegheny had the advantage in points in the paint (38-28) and second chance points (16-10).
Annorh was named to the All-Tournament Team finishing the weekend with 38 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and five steals. The men's basketball team has a quick turnaround when it opens its home schedule on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Roos will host crosstown rival St. Lawrence University at the Roos House.
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About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.