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    • Men’s Basketball Rallies Past SUNY Poly, 96-88

    BOSTON, Mass. — The Endicott men’s basketball team erased a 16-point deficit in the second half to secure a 96-88 victory over SUNY Poly on Friday night at the Emmanuel College Tip-Off Tournament.

    Men’s Basketball Rallies Past SUNY Poly, 96-88
    November 15, 2024
    Box Score

    BOSTON, Mass. — The Endicott men's basketball team erased a 16-point deficit in the second half to secure a 96-88 victory over SUNY Poly on Friday night at the Emmanuel College Tip-Off Tournament.

    Marcus Montagnino (Gloucester, Mass.) fueled the comeback with 32 points (11-16 FG, 1-2 3PT, 9-11 FT), 14 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a block.

    Elijah Kinney (Nashville, Tenn.) collected 26 points (11-18 FG, 4-5 FT) and seven boards, while Cam Keliher (South Hampton, N.H.) came up clutch down the stretch — finishing with 14 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3PT, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, two dimes, and a pair of swipes.

    Trailing 55-39 with 18:32 remaining in the second half, the Gulls chipped away at the deficit, outscoring SUNY Poly 43-31 over a 15:14 span (18:56-3:42) to bring the game within one possession at 84-82.

    Montagnino compiled 17 points, while Kinney added 10 to highlight the comeback effort.

    Keliher pushed Endicott into the lead for good with 2:56 to play via a three-ball from the left wing and the Gulls capitalized on the momentum the rest of the way.

    Keliher led the charge from the 2:56 mark on with seven points (1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT), alongside contributions from Montagnino (6), Kinney (4), and a free throw by AJ Forte (Peabody, Mass.).

    Tonight's game only featured seven lead changes and four ties.

    Endicott flipped the script in the second half, outscoring SUNY Poly 57-38 after trailing 50-39 at halftime.

    BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

    • Tonight's matchup was the first-ever meeting between the programs.
    • Keliher led all student-athletes in plus-minus (+21, only player +15 or better).
    • He also set career highs for points and rebounds tonight.
    • First career double-double for Montagnino (career highs for points/rebounds).
    • The Gulls dominated the paint, 52-32.

    WHAT'S NEXT

    Endicott (1-1) concludes the final day of the Emmanuel College Tip-Off Tournament tomorrow night against Lake Forest at 8 PM. 

    For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

    Photo Credit - (Leanna Puccio '24)