BANNER
Johnson opened strong and trailed by just two at halftime, but a second-half surge by SUNY Cobleskill proved decisive as the Badgers fell 84-73 on Saturday afternoon night.
SUMMARY
The Badgers opened the game with a 9-2 run fueled by Joseph Gargiulo and Mohammed Semega, with Gargiulo knocking down an early three and Semega finishing at the rim. Johnson's ball movement was sharp, with Semega and Gargiulo combining for multiple assists during the opening stretch. Niv Barzilay caught fire midway through the first half, knocking down back-to-back threes to push the lead to 19-9.
Despite Cobleskill's rally late in the half, Johnson maintained their composure – Gargiulo added a pair of layups and free throws, and Andrew Phillips scored in the paint to keep the Badgers within striking distance. A strong finish capped by Phillips' layup in the closing seconds sent Johnson into halftime trailing just 39-37.
Early in the second half, Gargiulo's layup and Phillips' jumper kept Johnson within three at 45-48, but Cobleskill responded with a 15-6 run to stretch the lead to double digits. Johnson cut the deficit to seven on a Martin Askenazi three-pointer with 10:59 remaining, while Semega added a key layup and controlled the glass. Frierson chipped in late with a layup and a deep three to cut the deficit, and Tre Bradley scored in transition to keep Johnson fighting until the final minute. Despite the effort, Cobleskill's rebounding advantage and timely shooting proved too much down the stretch.
KEY STATS
Joseph Gargiulo: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Mohammed Semega: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals
Niv Barzilay: 14 points (3-5 3PT), 3 steals
UP NEXT
The Badgers return to action on Tuesday, December 9th, when they host Lyndon for a 6:00 pm tip-off.