DELHI, N.Y. (February 12, 2020) – A record crowd came out on Wednesday to watch the SUNY Delhi men's basketball team defeat Bryant & Stratton Syracuse, 98-75, in an action-packed night. The game was part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's It's On Us Blackout Night, as well as the Broncos celebrating Senior Night for their five seniors: Justin Daoud, Payton Dean, Jordan Fragale, Carlos Ithier, and William Knight. Fragale even took full advantage of the evening's festivities by scoring his 1,000th career point in the first half, becoming the fourth Bronco this season to reach the four-digit milestone, and becoming the first to amass the mark at home. Head coach Zack Thomsen's team earned their seventh straight win to improve to 17-7.
Fragale led the Delhi scoring attack with a game-high 24 points, well surpassing the 1,000-point plateau after needing just nine points entering the contest. He now has 1,015 points for his career in addition to tallying five rebounds and four assists on the night. Norman Wilson netted 16 points, going 3-of-5 from long range, while Mavenson Therneus tallied 15 points and Glenn Butler 12 markers. Dean finished with a double-double, garnering ten points and ten rebounds.
Head coach Zack Thomsen honored his seniors and their respective families prior to the game with ceremonial framed photos. Fragale, Daoud, Dean, and Knight all became new members of the 1,000 career points club this season, as each surpassed the career milestone in the past two months. Daoud and Knight each had six points versus the Bobcats, with Daoud earning five rebounds and three assists, while Knight connected on a pair of threes. Ithier totaled three points with one 3-pointer and three assists.
Beginning with Knight's game-opening three, the Broncos went to work right away. Though tied briefly at 13-13, Delhi answered with a 16-0 run on its way to 51 first-half points and a 51-29 lead at intermission. The Broncos finished the half at 57.1 percent (20-for-35), making 7-of-11 threes. The Bobcats pounced on an early second-half run that dwindled the Broncos' lead down to 11 at 56-45 with 15:55 remaining. But seven straight Broncos points by Norman Wilson put the green and gold back on track, as Delhi showcased its quick-scoring abilities by finishing with a 20-8 lead in fastbreak points and taking 20 Bryant and Stratton turnovers for a 31-9 lead in points off turnovers.
Delhi shot 49.4 percent (41-for-83), making 9-of-21 threes and 7-of-14 free throws. The Bobcats made 40.3 percent (29-for-72), 6-of-22, and 11-of-22, respectively. The Broncos held a narrow 47-45 lead in rebounds, while their depth flourished with a 49-18 lead in bench points. Coach Thomsen's team led by as much as 25 points prior to game's end.
The Broncos have now won seven straight games and ten of their last 11. They entered Wednesday's game after receiving word of earning the number-one seed for the ACAA Tournament, which they will host. Delhi will play fourth-seed Valley Forge in the conference semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 4:00 p.m., followed by the remaining semifinals matchup between two-seed UC Santa Cruz and three-seed Pine Manor. The finalists will square off for the ACAA Championship on Sunday, Mar. 1 at 12:00 p.m.
Coach Thomsen's team were also ranked fourth in the latest USCAA Division I Coaches Poll, and are within sight of landing their first USCAA Tournament berth, which begins Mar. 12 at Penn State Fayette in Uniontown, Pa. The tournament consists of eight at-large bids. The men cap their regular season this Saturday at Pine Manor at 3:00 p.m.
SUNY Delhi Athletics and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee thanks everyone for coming out to Wednesday night's game. And special thanks to the College Advancement Office for spending their evening with us as part of Philanthropy Day, and Lambda Alpha Upsilon for performing at halftime and showing their continued support of Broncos Athletics.
The SAAC also wants to thank all who took the It's On Us pledge entering the game tonight to raise awareness and education towards sexual assault and violence on college campuses.
