GENESEO, N.Y. – Juniors Dylan Balducci (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) and James Saunders (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) both finished in double figures but the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team fell at SUNY Geneseo 95-74 in the 2016-17 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener on Friday night in Schrader Gymnasium.

Balducci finished with 14 points behind four three-pointers while Saunders chipped in 13 points off the bench, thanks to a 6-of-9 performance from the field.

10 different players tallied points for the Hawks (1-5, 0-1 SUNYAC) with sophomore Nick Paquette (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) providing nine points from a trio of three-pointers and freshman Emilio Cerda (Bronx, N.Y./W.H.E.E.L.S.) also contributing nine points off the pine. Senior Andrew Seniuk (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) registered eight points and freshmen Nick Arthur (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) and Matt English (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) combined for 12 points and five rebounds.

For the Knights (4-1, 1-0 SUNYAC), John Decker lit up the scoreboard with 32 points, going 8-of-11 from the field and 13-of-14 from the charity stripe. Justin Ringen chipped in 16 points to pace Geneseo.

The Hawks enjoyed an early first-half advantage, jumping out to a 9-4 lead after sophomore Matt Misser (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) made a layup with 16:49 to go. Following a Saunders lay-in that tied knotted the contest at 17-17, Paquette sunk a three which gave the Hawks a five point (22-17) edge with 10:27 remaining.

Seniuk extended this lead to nine points (28-19) with 6:39 on the clock after a three-point play. The Knights knotted the game up at 33-33 with a little under three minutes to go in the first half but again New Paltz answered and went up by five (38-33) after a Paquette three with 1:52 to play.

Unfortunately, Geneseo went on a 6-0 run to close out the half and claimed a slim 39-38 lead at intermission.

Paquette helped the Hawks regain the lead out of the gates in the second stanza, providing a trio to put New Paltz ahead 41-39. However, Geneseo countered this with a 14-0 spurt to put the Hawks in a 53-41 deficit, in which New Paltz could not climb out of the remainder of the contest.

The Hawks will look to recover at Brockport tomorrow at 2 p.m.