Bobcats Finish Regular Season with 17th Victory, 80-70 Over Cheyney University
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| 2/21/2023 10:20 AM | Kevin Turi, Sports Information Coordinator
Syracuse, NY-
The Bryant & Stratton College- Syracuse Men's Basketball team concluded their regular season with an 80-70 victory over Cheyney University on the road Monday night. The win for the Bobcats puts their final record of the regular season at a program best, 17-6.
How it Happened:
The Bryant & Stratton College- Syracuse Men's Basketball team traveled down to Cheyney University on Monday evening for what proved to be a difficult matchup to conclude their regular season schedule. On Senior Night for Cheyney University, the crowd and environment flowing throughout the gym was tangible and the home team used that energy to jump out to an 18-4 lead at the start of the game. Key performances from Vincent Frenza and Antonio Scott off the bench helped keep the game close in the first half, but the Bobcats still went into the break trailing 34-24.
At the start of the second half, the Bobcats defensive pressure really started to effect the Wolves of Cheyney University. Multiple steals by Jameel Abdallah led to easy transition layups and erased the 10-point deficit in the first few minutes of the second half. From here, the teams started to trade baskets and the intensity in the gym really started to rise as Cheyney University edged ahead 53-47 with 10 minutes to play.
The defensive pressure from the Bobcats at this point in the game took another step up thanks to the length at the front of the press from Moses Hughes. The disruption Hughes created for the Bobcats resulted in several key turnovers and led to an Antonio Scott layup to give the Bobcats their first lead 56-55 with 6:30 to play. The next two minutes would change the game as the Bobcats defense continued to lead to easy baskets on the offensive end. Another 9-3 run by the Bobcats capped off by a steal and layup from Chamarri Baskerville opened up a 67-58 lead for the Bobcats and provided the separation needed for the Bobcats to go on and win the game.
The Bobcats would maintain their advantage over the final 4 minutes of the game and continue to break their own record for single-season victories and push the record up to 17. The final score on the night was 80-70.
"I am so proud of this group and the effort that we put in tonight," said Head Coach Clay Gagen-Sherman following the win. "This was a really big test for our group to travel over 4 hours, play in front of the biggest crowd that we have seen all season on their senior night, and go down big early. The way that we responded is a huge testament to the character and depth that is throughout our entire roster and we need to build off this performance as we move forward into the postseason."
Next Game:
The Bobcats will play in the Vaden Cup on March 4th and 5th versus sister Bryant & Stratton College Men's Basketball programs before the USCAA National Championship Selection Show on March 5th at 4pm.
Be sure to follow @bscbobcatssyr on all of our social media platforms for updates and more on the 2022-23 Bryant & Stratton College- Syracuse Men's Basketball season!