STRONG SECOND HALF BY PEREZ LEADS EXPRESS PAST FIGHTING TIGERS

(Aurora, N.Y.)─ Benito Perez (Crystal City, Texas/Crystal City) led four Express players in double-figures with 20 points and Mabior Mayen (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) finished with a game high 17 rebounds as the Wells College men's basketball team rolled to a 69-55 victory over the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers on Thursday evening in Aurora. The Express (10-9, 9-3 NEAC) have now won seven straight, including six straight North Eastern Athletic Conference games. The loss drops the Fighting Tigers to 8-12 (8-6 NEAC).
 
Terry Harrison (Brooklyn, N.Y./Forest Hills) added 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Express. Dave Foltz (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) chipped in with 14 points, including 4 of 6 from the behind the arc, while Mayen added 11 points and five blocks to round out the scoring for Wells.
 
Craig Orner (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem) led the Fighting Tigers with a team high 18 points and six rebounds.
 
The Express held the Fighting Tigers to just 33.8 percent from the floor, including a lowly 4 of 25 from behind the arc. Wells on the other hand shot 41.4 percent from the field, including 9 of 25 from behind the arc and 12 of 16 from the charity stripe, while holding the advantage in rebounds 44-39.
 
It was a back and forth first half featuring 10 lead changes and five ties. The two teams exchanged buckets through the first ten minutes but the Fighting Tigers would take the first edge building an eight point lead (24-16) with 8:04 to play.
 
Foltz gave the Express some life, draining two 3-pointers and a lay-up as the Express would go on a 10-0 run to take the lead 26-24. The two teams again played tight and a lay-up by Harrison with eight second remaining gave Wells a one point edge heading into the locker room up 31-30.
 
The two teams continued to play neck and neck early in the second half. Cobleskill took a three point lead on four straight points from Orner and would lead 39-37 with 14:23 to play. The Express began to heat up midway through the second half. Perez drilled a 3-pointer and Mayen finished a lay-up, starting a 12-2 run and giving the Express a lead they would never relinquish.
 
Perez was impressive down the stretch, scoring 15 points in the final 14 minutes of play, while assisting on an emphatic dunk by Mayen with one minute to play, sealing the victory.
 
The Express return to action on Thursday afternoon against NEAC opponent SUNY IT with the game set to tip at 3 p.m. in Aurora.