CAZENOVIA, N.Y. – Morrisville State College sophomore transfer, Kyle Peck (Oneida, N.Y.) netted a game high 23 points Saturday afternoon to lead the visiting Mustangs past host Cazenovia College 79-75 in a heated Route 20 Rivalry and North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) showdown in Cazenovia.
The win lifts Morrisville State to a 4-2 overall record, improving to 2-0 in NEAC play. Cazenovia drops to 0-6, 0-2 in conference action with the loss.
Peck went 10-for-13 from the free throw line, in addition to a 6-for-11 performance from the floor, while registering three steals, three assists and five rebounds in the win. Twenty-one of his game total 23 points came in the second half of action.
Three additional Mustangs netted double figures, including Trent Ward (Auburn, N.Y.) who collected 16. Kenny Bonaparte (Soundview, N.Y.) contributed 13 to go along with five steals, while Kevin Dennis (Bronx, N.Y.) rounded out the leaderboard with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Cazenovia had a quick start, and led from their first possession, building up as many as a 14 point lead midway through the opening half, before Morrisville State put together a 10-1 run over the ensuing five minutes to cut the deficit to five with just under seven minutes to go in the period.
The hosts regained a nine-point lead with 2:42 remaining in the half, but the Mustangs put together an 8-2 run to carry momentum into the break, and trail the Wildcats by just three at halftime.
Cazenovia extended their lead to five minutes into the second half, before Peck went on a scoring frenzy, netting the next 10 of 12 points to give the Mustangs the slim lead.
The Wildcats battled back and regained the lead before Peck again, sparked the Mustangs offensive attack with back-to-back buckets, including one from beyond the arc, to take the lead in the back and forth battle.
Peck's three gave Morrisville State their final lead of the contest, as they held on for the thrilling win. Cazenovia cut it to one with 18 ticks remaining, but Peck closed out the contest going 3-for-4 from the free throw line to seal the victory.
Morrisville State took advantage of 14 second half Wildcat miscues, netting 16 points off turnovers.
Cazenovia outshot the Mustangs 46.4% to 37.1, but Morrisville State took advantage of their time at the free throw line, converting 29-of-41 attempts, including 19-of-28 in the second half alone.
Morrisville State returns to the floor Wednesday, traveling to SUNY Cobleskill for a NEAC contest scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. in Cobleskill.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2016 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2016 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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