Paul Smiths’ Manny Belcher lays up a shot against Great Bay CC. (Provided photo — PSC/Mercedes Rideout)

PAUL SMITHS — The Paul Smith’s College men’s basketball team did something on Saturday that they hadn’t done in the previous four years — claim a victory against perennial powerhouse Great Bay CC.

The Bobcats defeated the Herons by a healthy margin, 100-72 at home in the Saunders Gymnasium.

The last time the squad topped them was on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2021, and back then the Bobcat team and coaching staff looked very different from what they did on Saturday. Josh Clemens was the coach, and the team had just come out of their COVID season, where they played only two games.

On Saturday, Paul Smith’s had five players reach double digits in points as Talon Brooks of St. Petersburg, Florida, led the way with 23 points. The hosts spread the ball around as Leo Williams of Plattsburgh, Jack Taylor of Baltimore, Maryland, Yashiro Hurst Jr. of Muncy, Indiana, and Manny Belcher of Bridgeport, Connecticut finished with 15, 14, 13 and 13 points, respectively.

Hurst was a single assist away from his first college double-double, finishing with nine helpers as the Bobcats did well moving the ball on offense. The team shot an impressive 70% from the field and were especially accurate from downtown, hitting 10 of their 16 three-point attempts.

The Bobcats are 1-2 and travel to Five Towns College in Dix Hills on Sunday. They are 1-0 in the Yankee Small College Conference and will look to build on their good league start Thursday, Nov. 20, when they take on Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences on the road.