GENESEO, N.Y. – After playing SUNY Geneseo (9-10, 7-5 SUNYAC) tight in the opening stanza, the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team (8-11, 5-8 SUNYAC) was saddled with foul trouble in the second half, as the Hawks dropped an 81-73 decision on Friday night in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action.

Junior forward Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township) had a hot hand once again, scoring a game-high 25 points off 8-of-13 shooting from the field—including a 5-of-7 mark from distance—and 4-of-4 shooting from the free-throw line. He added to his stat sheet by including eight rebounds and two assists, which he achieved in 31 minutes of play. Freshman forward/center Alan Siergiej (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, which also served as a career-best total, and senior guard/forward Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) handed out a game-high seven assists to go along with his 10 points.

Geneseo had four players reach double-digit scoring figures. Connor Fedge keyed the attack with a 20-point performance, while Jordan Jones and Gordon Lyons added 12 points each. Mike Hoy shot perfect from the floor (3-of-3) and the free-throw line (4-of-4) to post a 10-point total. Jones, Andy Drescher and Thomas Decker all tied for the team-high in assists with three, while Lyons and Fedge each pulled down five boards. Jones had three steals as well, which served as a game-high.

The Hawk defense was unable to stop a potent Blue Knight offense, as Geneseo shot 55.4 percent (31-of-56) from the floor on the contest. The Hawks turned the ball over 13 times, and the Blue Knights made them pay, scoring 16 points off giveaways. Geneseo held a slight edge in the rebounding column (31-26), and the Blue Knights scored 40 points in the paint. New Paltz, which entered the game ranked 10th in NCAA Division III in free-throw percentage at 75.8 percent, once again lived up to its reputation as an efficient foul-shooting team, going 20-of-22 from the line.

The first half featured 10 tie scores and six lead changes, as the two teams continuously vied for the advantage. After neither squad was able to establish momentum in the opening minutes, the Hawks began to take control, and a three-point play by senior guard/forward Jamal Lis-Simmons (Highland, N.Y./Highland) gave New Paltz a 23-17 lead at 8:50 of the first half. A made jumper by Hoy at 5:11 of the first half capped an 8-0 Geneseo spurt, and the Blue Knights gained a two-point cushion.

The Hawks battled back, and Devine made it a four-point game in favor of New Paltz (33-29) with 2:21 left in the first stanza. The Blue Knights, however, forged another 8-0 run, which spanned the final 2:04 of the period. Fedge knocked down a jumper with three seconds remaining, and Geneseo headed into the locker room with a four-point advantage at 37-33.

Things got out of hand quickly in the second half, as Geneseo pieced together a 9-0 run after a two-minute seesaw battle, and a made free throw by Jones swelled the Blue Knight edge to 15 at 13:26 of the second half. New Paltz would make small runs, but with Devine in foul trouble, the Hawks were never able to rekindle their offensive spark. Geneseo led by double digits the remainder of the half, until freshman guard/forward Matt Pierson (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) forced a steal with eight seconds left, and junior guard Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) drilled a trey off a pass from senior guard Jermain Wallace (Spring Valley, N.Y./Silver Bluff) with six seconds to go to trim the deficit to eight.

New Paltz faces another crucial league contest tomorrow, as it squares off with The College at Brockport at 4 p.m. at Vlogianitis Gymnasium in Brockport, N.Y.