NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Cold shooting from the floor in the first half hurt the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team (4-5, 2-2 SUNYAC), as the Hawks dropped an 84-63 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) decision to SUNY Geneseo (6-3, 3-0 SUNYAC) on Saturday afternoon at the Hawk Center.

The Hawks shots just 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the floor on the game, including a 30.4 percent (7-of-23) mark in the first half. New Paltz also struggled a bit at the line, shooting below its season average by going 18-of-27 (66.7 percent). Meanwhile, Geneseo shot 60.3 percent (35-of-58) from the floor for the game, which included a 63.0 percent (17-of-27) mark in the first half. Geneseo held a 32-30 edge in the rebounding battle as well.

New Paltz was in trouble from the get-go, as it never led. Matt Curry scored Geneseo's first points of the contest, and the Blue Knights never looked back. A three-pointer by senior forward Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township) ended a 12-0 Geneseo run, which spanned from 11:16 of the first half to 4:12 of the first half. His three made it a 33-16 score in favor of New Paltz. Geneseo continued to score at will, and it took a 24-point lead into the locker room.

The Hawks trailed by as few as 17 points in the second stanza, but Geneseo never let up, continuing to keep the lead out around 20 points.

Devine scored a game-high 18 points off 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, while senior guard/forward Shereef Taylor (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt) and freshman forwardDeveino McRae (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. McRae also grabbed a game-high eight boards, while junior guard Andrew Joseph (Brooklyn, N.Y./High School of Art and Design) came up with a game-high-tying three steals.

Four players reached double figures for Geneseo: Gordon Lyons (16), Ryan Riefenhauser (12), Connor Fedge (10) and Andy Drescher (10). Drescher dished out a game-high six assists, while Fedge added a game-high-tying three steals.

New Paltz looks to right the ship before the Intercession break, taking on non-conference Hamilton College at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11.