Gators get career high from Denmark in 72-68 loss at SUNY Poly

Gators get career high from Denmark in 72-68 loss at SUNY Poly

Utica, NY—Josh Gregory had a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead SUNY Poly to a 72-68 non-league home men's basketball win over The Sage Colleges Saturday at the Campus Center Gym. The Wildcats improved to 2-6 while the Gators now stand 3-6.

Peyton Griffiths scored 17 with four assists and three steals for the Wildcats, while Tyshaun Copper added 14 points. SUNY Poly shot 40% for the game and made 25 of 30 free throw attempts, good for 83%. Both teams had 41 rebounds.

Junior guard Darius Denmark (Orlando, FL/Evans) led the Gators with 19 points, a new career high. He made all five of his three point attempts and was also perfect at the line in four free throw attempts. Senior forward Chris Kidd (Troy, NY/Beacon) scored 12 points and pulled down six rebounds, and graduate guard Frane Larose (Miami, FL/N. Miami Beach Senior) added 11 points with a career best seven boards. Sophomore forward/center Anthony Mitchell (Bronx, NY/Salesian) led all Gators with eight rebounds and also had a team high four assists. His eight rebounds tied his season high, the fifth time he has pulled down eight rebounds in a game this season. Sage shot 34% and made 75% at the line.

SUNY Poly led 36-35 at halftime. Each team had 18 rebounds at the half but the host Wildcats never trailed in the game. In the second half, the Wildcats led by as many as 10 three times, including as late as with 1:16 left at 66-56. A layup by Kidd made it a four-point game with 27 seconds remaining, and a three pointer by Denmark with three seconds brought the Gators to within three at 71-68 in favor of the Wildcats. But after a foul, Jaylin Gray made the first of two free throws for a four-point lead with three seconds left to seal the victory. Gray made five free throws in the final 25 seconds.  

Sage is idle until December 30 when the Gators host Castleton University for a non-league game at 1 p.m. at Kahl Gym. SUNY Poly returns to action on December 14 for a non-league game at Hobart at 5 p.m.