Box Score Box Score
MONTCLAIR, N.J. – After a solid first-half performance, the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team (4-4) unraveled in the second stanza, succumbing to Montclair State University (12-2), 88-76, at the Panzer Athletic Center in non-conference action Wednesday evening.
Montclair State shot the lights out of the gym in the second half, shooting 73.9 percent from the floor. New Paltz, which shot respectably on the evening at 45 percent (27-of-60), could not contain the Red Hawks' post players, who dominated play down low.
The Red Hawks controlled the tempo for the first 10 minutes of the contest, using sharp shooting to keep an advantage over the visiting Hawks. New Paltz turned it around midway through the stanza, and sophomore guard/forward
Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J.) leveled the score at 25-all with 6:54 remaining in the first half after the Hawks had trailed by as many as nine, capping a 9-0 New Paltz run.
With the score at 42-38 in favor of Montclair State on the heels of a 5-0 Red Hawk run with six seconds left in the first period, the Red Hawks took the ball inbounds at mid court and eventually fed it down to the low block. A.J. Larkin missed on a layup from the right block, and Andrew August tipped the ball in as time expired. The officials originally ruled it a made basket, but after deliberation, the call was overturned, citing that time expired before August released on the tip.
The Red Hawks caught fire coming out of the intermission, outscoring the Hawks 17-4 in the first six minutes of the fresh period. New Paltz was unable to overcome Montclair State's early surge in the half, but the Hawks did make it interesting down the stretch. New Paltz went on a 15-6 run to close the game, and the blue and orange came as close as 10 points with 49 seconds left when junior guard
Matt Rooney (Northport, N.Y.) drilled a three-pointer.
Freshman guard
Taylor Sowah (Bronx, N.Y.) scored a career-high 16 points for New Paltz coming off the bench, going 7-of-8 from the field and tacking on a free throw. Sowah's line also included the game-high total in assists (4), two rebounds and three steals. Devine and junior guard
Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y.) also reached double figures, pitching in 14 and 13 points, respectively. Devine and Wichard tied for the team-high in rebounds with eight each.
August had an outstanding night for the Red Hawks, dropping a game-high 25 points off 8-of-14 shooting from the floor and 9-of-13 shooting from the charity stripe. He also added nine boards. Charles Miller had a double-double, netting 17 points and reeling in 12 rebounds. August and Michael Price tied Sowah for the game-high in helpers with four apiece.
New Paltz aims to redeem itself this Friday, Jan. 7, when it hosts Buffalo State in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tilt at 8 p.m. in the Hawk Center.
