ONEONTA, N.Y. - Sophomore Kobe Long (Rochester, NY/McQuaid) netted a career-high 23 points as the Oneonta men's basketball team defeated Canton 77-60 on Tuesday evening. The Red Dragons move to 10-8 overall and 5-6 in the SUNYAC, while the Roos fall to 3-15 and 3-8 in the conference.
"I thought our guys came out with a great defensive focus," said head coach Cameron Conover. "They played with the necessary desire, and we got key stops when needed."
Senior Caleb Brown (Brooklyn, NY/Uncommon Charter) got the Red Dragons rolling on an 8-0 to start the game after scoring a layup at 18:40. Jevonte Williams broke the streak with an inside basket at 15:07, but freshman Cam LaClair (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem) hit a triple to extend the Oneonta lead to 11-2. The Red Dragons took an 11-point lead following a Brown layup, and another LaClair three-pointer made it 16-2 at 12:27.
Oneonta held a double-digit lead and led by 15 when Long drained a three at 6:32. The Roos struggled to pull within single digits, and senior Elijah Castillo (Bronx, NY/St. Raymonds) gave Oneonta a 30-15 advantage. Final free throws by Castillo put the score 32-20 at the half.
Canton pulled within nine following a three from Nate Cohen and Kevin Goode free throws. Senior Zyeir Lawrence (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) converted inside, and another Long three-pointer brought the Oneonta lead back to 11.
Hansen Bagdonas cut the lead to single digits following a three at 10:55, and the Roos chipped away at the Red Dragons' lead. Layups from Chris Nastasi and Bryon Streb made it 52-47 with 7:40 left. A 6-0 Oneonta run pushed the lead back to 11, and a layup by junior Delano Knox (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) made it 70-57. A final three from sophomore Ibrahim Wally (Brooklyn, NY/East NY Family Academy) off an assist from senior Josh Smalls (Uniondale, NY/Uniondale) secured the double-digit victory.
Long had a game-high 23 points and was 10-for-10 for free throws. LaClair recorded his first double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds, a block, and a steal. Brown added 12 points, five boards, three assists, and three steals.
Oneonta next travels to face Fredonia on Fri. Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m.
