PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (February 2, 2019) – The SUNY Delhi men's basketball team moved one step closer to a potential ACAA Tournament berth on Saturday, picking up their second ACAA victory in as many games with a 75-59 downing at Valley Forge. Paired with a victory over fellow ACAA-foe Alfred State on Wednesday, the Broncos have won seven of their last eight games to improve to 12-9 on the year, and a perfect 2-0 in conference competition.
The ACAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday, after which head coach Zack Thomsen's team will have four more regular season games. The tournament is set to take place at Alfred State, beginning Saturday, Feb. 23. Two of Delhi's remaining games are against ACAA opponents, with back-to-back road dates at Pratt on Friday, Feb. 8 and at Alfred State on Feb. 9.
Though the Broncos did not trail at any point in the game, they were only narrowly ahead against the Patriots to start. Up, 17-15, with 9:26 to play before halftime, Delhi put forth a 12-1 run to take control, which led to a 37-26 lead at halftime. The men pressed on in the second half, not allowing UVF to get within ten points of their lead, while extending it to as much as 21 points.
Nine of the ten Broncos to take the court Saturday scored, with Delhi boasting an incredible 50-0 lead over the Patriots in bench points. William Knight and Justin Daoud both came off the bench to finish as the team's leading scorers at 18 points and 15 points, respectively, with Daoud also ranking third on Delhi with seven rebounds. Payton Dean and Saquan Goland each finished with a team-best ten rebounds, with Dean bidding for a double-double with nine points and Goland adding four points. Jordan Fragale posted ten points to go with six assists and four steals, with Jared Beach knocking down 2-of-3 triples on his way to eight points.
The men shot 41.4 percent from the floor (29-for-70) and 5-of-20 on threes, while the Patriots made 35.6 percent (21-for-59) and 8-of-25, respectively. Led by Dean, Goland and Daoud, Delhi held a 39-30 lead in rebounds, including a 16-9 advantage in offensive boards. The Broncos cashed in 21 UVF turnovers in as many points, as well as holding a 38-22 lead in points in the paint.
Saturday's win added to Delhi's recent success, which dates back to New Year's Eve when the team, standing at 5-8, posted a victory at MCLA. Five of the Broncos' victories in this stretch came at home, as the team is currently riding a seven-game home win streak for a 7-1 home record on the year.
The men look to keep their momentum going this Wednesday, when they host Cazenovia at 5:00 p.m. as part of SUNY Delhi Athletics' Gold Night. First 500 fans will receive a free t-shirt, courtesy of the SUNY Delhi Health & Counseling Services, Student Senate, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.