NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team (2-2) earned a victory in its first home game of the 2011-12 season, defeating non-conference Vassar College (2-2), 83-70, on Wednesday night at the Hawk Center. The Hawks were victorious on the strength of 20-plus point performances from both junior forward Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township) and senior guard/forward Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK).

The Hawks jumped out to a 10-point lead only five minutes into the contest, managing to hold the lead for nearly all 40 minutes of regulation. Vassar held the lead just once, coming from the game's opening basket by Luka Ladan. New Paltz's lead was often under duress, as Vassar brought the edge down to four points on multiple occasions in both halves, but the Brewers were only able to make it a one-possession game twice.

Devine gave the Hawks a team-high 23 points with a 6-of-12 night from the floor while going 9-of-15 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Wichard recorded his second double-double of the season with a 22 point, 10 rebound performance against the Brewers. Wichard shot 6-of-12 from the field, as well as hitting all six of his free throw attempts. His 10 rebounds paced New Paltz, which also got seven-rebound efforts from Devine and junior guard Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK).

Vassar's scoring was led by Sam Rappaport, coming off the bench to net a game-high 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting while going 5-of-11 from beyond the arc. Rappaport also collected two steals, a game-high. Ladan led the Brewers with eight rebounds, as well as being the Brewers' only other double-digit scorer with 12 points. Johnny Mrlik contributed nine points in Vassar's losing effort.

Ladan opened scoring for Vassar with a layup, but that was immediately answered by a three-pointer by Taldi, courtesy of a pass from senior guard Jermain Wallace (Spring Valley, N.Y./Silver Bluff). That was the beginning of a 9-0 run by New Paltz, spurring Vassar head coach Del Harris to bring in three fresh players to try and counter the Hawks' output. The move resulted in Rappaport's first made basket of the game, a jumper at 17:15 in the first half, but the Brewers could not stop the Hawk lead from rising to double digits at 15:03, courtesy of a Devine layup and successful continuation free throw from being fouled on the attempt. This prompted Vassar to take a full time-out to regroup.

Vassar made multiple runs to get back in the game, getting as close as two points down with 4:38 remaining in the first stanza when Ladan connected a mid-range jumper. The Hawks kept their composure with the Brewers closing in, and within the next minute and thirty seconds, they extended their lead back to eight with free throws from Wallace and Taldi, as well as a pair of layups from Wichard. The half ended with a 42-36 Hawk lead, as freshman guard/forward Matt Pierson (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) picked Jon Herzog's pocket to prevent the Brewers from getting a final scoring attempt.

New Paltz opened the second half on a 6-0 run, but with 14:12 remaining in the game, it found the Brewers knocking on the door again. A layup by Ladan brought Vassar within four points yet again, this time at 50-46. The two sides indulged in back-and-forth scoring for a few minutes before Pierson nailed a three-point shot with 8:34 remaining to put the Hawks up 10, 62-52. Rappaport responded with his own three-pointer in transition, but that was answered two possessions later by a Taldi three. From that point on, Vassar would get as close as six points, once, hovering around an 11-point deficit the remainder of the game.

The Hawks next compete on Friday, Dec. 2, beginning play in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) by taking on SUNY Fredonia at the Hawk Center. Game time is slated for 8 p.m.