Bobcats Upset Lynx in YSCC First Round

Concord, NH ~ A stellar individual effort from one of the best players in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) lifted the Paul Smith's College men's basketball team over NHTI 86-80 on Saturday in a first round playoff game in Concord, NH.  Sophomore guard Anthony Henson (Orlando, FL) dropped 35 points on the Lynx en route to a #7 upset of the #2 seed in the YSCC men's basketball bracket.  

Henson's 35 points were supplemented by the senior trio of Kareem Chapman (Bronx, NY), Anthony Miller Jr. (New Haven, CT), and Anthony Frasier (Johnstown, NY) who contributed 13, 10, and eight points, respectively.  Junior guard Steven Solórzano (Queens, NY) added 11 points as a starter, and Sayvion Daniel (Roosevelt, NY) added a solid nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench, leading the Bobcats in boards.  

"Me and the guys had a meeting the night before the game, and I told them to just not overthink - we just emphasized playing with each other despite the circumstance," reflected Henson.  

It was a tight game for the duration, with the two teams trading leads and nobody going up by more than eight points.  The atmosphere and the high stakes are something that would make some players balk, but not this team.  The Bobcats have been playing in close games all season, and those situations have made this team one of the most dangerous #7 seeds to ever enter a postseason.

"I was excited for us to play to the potential we have been seeing all season," said Paul Smith's College men's basketball head coach Josh Clemens.  "We have been part of a lot of close games this year and that experience paid off in a major upset," he added.

The Lynx have been consistently on the top of the YSCC standings for the majority of the year, only dropping to the #2 seed in the final week.  The assurance and satisfaction from this win is exactly what the team needs to make a deep run at the YSCC Tournament and beyond. 

"We are feeling confident going into Saturday," said Henson.  "We just gotta stay together and we can beat another team that people think are gonna run us out the gym... I feel like we got them right where we want them."

The Bobcats take on Great Bay CC at 2pm on Saturday, March 4th in Auburn, ME at Central Maine CC for the chance to play in the YSCC Championship game on Sunday.  You can follow the team on Instagram at @psc_mensbball or follow Smitty Nation at @smitty_nation for live updates, scores, schedules, and much more.

At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences and natural resources. We are able to draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive and adventurous individuals collectively provide experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu »