Poly, NY - Delhi men's basketball (15-8,8-4) traveled to play SUNY Poly in their final away trip of the regular season but were defeated in a close battle 73-68. The Broncos lost their first game since January 7th, since then they have been on a tear winning seven straight before tonight's loss.
The Broncos started the game hot, quickly jumping out to a 17-5 lead with two Lester McCarthy baskets from deep. SUNY Poly would then capitalize on the Bronco's struggling to shoot and chip away at the lead throughout the half. Delhi would go into the break with just a three-point lead, 30-27 after they shot 31.6% (12-for-38) from the field. They were led by Jacob Beach's 13 points and Mavenson Therneus's nine rebounds.
The second half was a close game with Delhi keeping a small lead for most of the time. After the first lead change of the half, they would find themselves down 68-66 with less than two minutes remaining. Jacob Beach would have to knock down two free throws to even up the score. But with less than 30 seconds to go the Wildcats would get a basket to go and then force a turnover on the other end, leaving Delhi to foul. They would miss one attempt, giving the Broncos a chance to tie with a three. They would have a decent look but it wouldn't fall, ending their winning streak at seven.
Delhi had three players reach double-digit points, with Beach's 26 points the game-high for either team. Isiah Barnes and Lester McCarthy combined for 23 as they both had overall solid games. Barnes ended with seven assists and five rebounds while McCarthy recorded six rebounds and three steals. Therneus, who broke the SUNY Delhi All-Time Scoring Record in yesterday's win, didn't quite find his touch offensively. He found other ways to contribute though as he pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds and grabbed three steals.
Delhi and Poly split their matchup this year with both teams taking care of business at home. The Bronco's final two games of the regular season will be at home, taking on SUNY Canton and NVU-Johnson next week on Friday and Saturday.
