ALBANY, NY – The Pratt Institute men's basketball team couldn't find any rhythm offensively and fell Sunday afternoon at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 104-48.
Albany Pharmacy improved to 5-10 (4-1 HVIAC), while the loss drops the Cannoneers' record to 5-8 (2-3 HVIAC) overall. The Panthers, which entered the day ranked third in the conference in scoring defense, limited Pratt to both its lowest point total (48) and lowest field goal percentage (26.2) of the season.
Junior guard Andrew Yaglenski was the Cannoneers' high scorer with 14 points, including three 3-pointers. Vishal Vanka contributed nine points with Bubby Vernon and Ari Grant each chipping in eight.
Albany Pharmacy's Kyle Matousek scored a game-high 33 points with all but three coming in the first half. The Panthers finished the day shooting 54.4 percent, including 15-of-28 from behind the arc, and controlled the glass with a 57-30 rebounding advantage.
Consecutive threes by Vernon and Yaglenski opened the scoring and saw Pratt take an early 6-0 lead. The host Panthers proceeded to orchestrate an 18-0 run over the next six and a half minutes until Grant's dunk stopped the bleeding. Albany's defensive pressure kept Pratt off the scoreboard for a majority of the first half, holding the Cannoneers to just six field goals as it built a 49-16 halftime lead.
Albany Pharmacy did not let up in the second half and led by as much as 94-33 with 4:45 remaining. Yaglenski knocked down a pair of three-pointers midway through the frame as Pratt tried to build momentum, but each time Albany Pharmacy responded to maintain its margin.
Pratt returns to action Friday, February 3 at the Pratt ARC against SUNY ESF. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 pm.
