NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Junior forward Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township) scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team (6-9, 3-6 SUNYAC), but the Hawks suffered an 80-69 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) setback to SUNY Geneseo (8-8, 6-3 SUNYAC) on Saturday afternoon at the Hawk Center.

Geneseo held a slight edge in nearly every statistical category. The Blue Knights held a 32-25 cushion on the boards and a 53.7 percent-to-51.0 percent edge in field-goal percentage. In addition, Geneseo turned the ball over 12 times compared to the Hawks' 15 giveaways. New Paltz dipped below its season average at the line, shooting just 63.2 percent (12-of-19). That mark, however, stood just better than the Blue Knights' 62.5 percent (15-of-24) outing at the charity stripe.

Beyond Devine's 20 points, senior guard/forward Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) poured in 19, which vaulted him to sixth on the program's all-time scoring chart. Wichard's 1,339 career points passes Robert Jones, who scored 1,321 from 1997-2001. Junior guard Shalik Jenkins (Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys and Girls) dished out a team-high three assists, while Wichard and Devine each had a pair of steals.

For Geneseo, Jordan Jones propelled the attack with 22 points off 7-of-13 shooting from the floor and 7-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line. Mike Hoy and Matt Curry joined Jones in double figures with 14 and 13, respectively, while Hoy handed out a game-high five assists and posted a game-high two blocks. Curry and Jones each shared the team lead in rebounds with six.

The Blue Knights scored the first four points of the tilt, but the Hawks went on a 10-2 run and gained a 10-6 lead. Both teams battled back and forth for the next five minutes, and neither could establish separation. After the Blue Knights picked up a five-point lead, Wichard cut the deficit to two at 1:57 of the first half with a three-pointer. Jones answered back on the ensuing possession with a trey of his own, giving Geneseo a 38-33 edge heading into the locker room.

Jenkins drilled a three-pointer just 13 seconds into the second half to bring the Hawks back within two, but the Blue Knights went on a 10-0 run for the next two minutes, creating a 12-point margin (48-36). Geneseo held a double-digit lead until 8:19 of the second half, as junior guard Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) hit a three-pointer to pull the Hawks within eight. Jones converted an old-fashioned three-point play on the next Blue Knight possession, though, dropping in a layup and hitting a continuation free-throw shot due to a foul. From that point forward, Geneseo led by no fewer than 11 points.

With the first half of league play under its belt, the team looks ahead to next weekend, as it treks to the Buffalo area for a pair of SUNYAC games. New Paltz squares off with Buffalo State on Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. before finding itself opposite SUNY Fredonia on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 4 p.m.