NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team engaged SUNY Cortland in back-and-forth defensive battle on Saturday afternoon at the Hawk Center, but the Hawks were unable to hold on in a 57-48 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) loss.
 
New Paltz ratcheted up its defense on Saturday, holding Cortland to a season-low .300 field-goal percentage; the Red Dragons' previous low of .357 came when the two teams met on Jan. 6 at Corey Gym. The Hawks, however, were unable to match their success from 3-point range that they had during their last meeting against Cortland, as they were hurt by 17.9 percent (5-of-28) shooting from beyond the arc.
 
The Hawks fall to 8-9 overall (6-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and next host SUNY Oneonta on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m. Cortland rises to 13-4 overall (6-4 SUNYAC) and entertains The College at Brockport next on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m.
 
New Paltz trailed just once in the first half and constructed its largest lead of the afternoon after sophomore guardEric Regenbogen (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) cashed in on an old-fashioned 3-point play to give the Hawks a 21-12 edge. After Cortland answered with a pair of free throws, junior guard Keegan Donovan (Groton, N.Y./Groton) sank a jumper to extend the cushion back to nine. Cortland's senior guard Lamard Herron drilled a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to spell the halftime score of 23-17.
 
The Hawks continued to cling to a share of the lead in the early goings of the second half until a 4-0 Red Dragon spurt gave Cortland a 33-31 lead—its first since the opening basket of the game. It remained a one-possession game heading into the stretch run, but Cortland surged ahead for good with a 13-2 run to close the contest.
 
The Red Dragons finished with a slim 48-44 edge in rebounds and ended with a 77.3 percent (17-of-22) mark from the line. New Paltz got to the line just six times and sank five foul shots en route to an 83.3 percent performance at the charity stripe.
 
Senior guard/forward Taylor Sowah (Bronx, N.Y./Miller Place) notched his eighth double-double of the year with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while senior guard/forward R.J. Rosa (North Branch, N.Y./Sullivan West) chipped in with 10 points. Rosa beefed up his stat line with five steals, five rebounds and three assists.
 
Junior guard T.J. Hefele drained a game-high 19 points to pace the Red Dragon attack, while Herron and junior guard Blair Estarfaa provided 13 and 11 points, respectively. Senior center Matt McGowan and freshman forward Justin Prendergast patrolled the post, totaling 10 rebounds and three blocks, respectively.