Men's Basketball Drops Road Contest at Albany

Albany, NY - Men's basketball moves to 1-1 (1-0 HVIAC) on the season after an 82-64 loss on the road to Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Five Towns shot 41.3% in today's game. The team went 26-63 from the field, including 4-17 from three-point range. Albany Pharmacy shot 43.2% and converted on 10 of 30 shots from behind the arc. 

Albany's leading scorer from last season, Nate Beltran, was the game's high scorer with 38 points. Beltran shot 14-24 overall, including 5-10 from three-point range. Beltran averaged 15.7 points per game for the Panthers last season.

Albany held the advantage around the basket with 42 points in the paint compared to Five Towns' 30. The Panthers outrebounded Five Towns 45-37. Albany's defense caused 23 Five Towns turnovers, which the team converted into 26 points. Five Towns turned 18 Albany turnovers into 23 points.

Junior guard Kyree Sawyer led the scoring for Five Towns for two games in a row. After scoring 29 points against Word of Life/Davis yesterday, Sawyer scored 20 points in today's contest, to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Newcomer Damani Merritt scored double-digit points for the second game in a row with 10 points and two rebounds, two assists, two steals. Freshman Eric Romero scored 16 points on 6-14 shooting, including three from behind the arc. Freshman Robert Williams controlled the boards for Five Towns, grabbing 12 rebounds. Williams also totaled eight points, four steals, two blocks, and one assist. Lloyd Middlebrooks contributed eight points, and Nigel Braithwaite Jr. scored four points off the bench.

Albany controlled the game from tip-off and started with a 13-2 scoring run. Five Towns would not have the lead through the entire game.

Men's basketball returns to action next weekend as the team travels to Pennsylvania for the Penn State Scranton Tip-Off Tournament.

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