Box Score Box Score
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Friday evening's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) men's basketball clash between the State University of New York at New Paltz (5-4, 1-2 SUNYAC) and Buffalo State (6-3, 1-2 SUNYAC) will be remembered for years to come among Hawk faithful, as the Hawks erased a 21-point first-half deficit and ultimately pulled out an 86-85 win over the Bengals in the Hawk Center.
New Paltz trailed by 21 points with 2:59 to go in the first half and appeared destined toward a blowout loss at home to a fast-paced Buffalo State team. The Hawks, however, broke through the suffocating full-court press and fired off a 12-0 run to close the half. At the break, the Bengals still held a nine-point lead at 49-40.
After junior guard
Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y.) drilled a three-pointer to cut the lead to six on the opening possession of the second half, Buffalo State went on a 12-3 run that was capped by a Justin Mitchell layup with 16:38 to go in the second stanza and pushed the margin to 15. Four different players pitched in during a 9-0 New Paltz spurt, which cut the lead to six. From that point forward, while the Bengals would recapture momentum, they would be unable to regain the double-digit advantage.
Wichard knocked down a pair of free throws with 7:00 remaining in regulation to pull the Hawks within three (70-67), and sophomore guard
Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y.) made the gym erupt with back-to-back threes at 3:46 and 3:09, respectively, as New Paltz gained its first lead since the score was 6-5 with 17:17 left in the first half. Both sides traded the advantage down the stretch, and junior guard
Jermain Wallace (Spring Valley, N.Y.) hit what wound up being the game-winning jumper with 54 seconds to go in regulation, putting the Hawks out in front, 86-85. Buffalo State missed four free throws and one layup in the final minute, while New Paltz added to the suspense, as the home team was unable to add to its lead.
After Wallace missed his second of two free throws with two ticks left, Ahmed Nagaya scooped up the rebound and gave the Bengals one last chance to win. Following a 30-second timeout, Buffalo State inbounded the ball but was unable to get a quality look, and New Paltz pulled out the improbable victory.
The Hawks placed five players in double figures, which included a double-double performance (13 points and 12 rebounds) by junior forward/center
Daniel Olsen (Stafford Springs, Conn.). Taldi led the way with 18 points coming off the bench, while junior guard
Shereef Taylor (Hyde Park, N.Y.), Wichard and sophomore guard/forward
Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J.) posted 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively. Taylor was one rebound shy of a double-double (9) and also dished out a game-high six assists in 36 minutes of action, also a game-high. Freshman guard
Lamard Herron (Westbury, N.Y.) bolstered the defense coming off the bench, boasting two steals and one block.
Jake Simmons and Chris Cartwright paced the Buffalo State attack. Simmons drained a game-high 22 points, while Cartwright followed closely behind with 20. Cartwright also filled out the stat sheet with four assists, four boards and three steals. Justin Mitchell sparkled on the defensive side of the floor, swatting a game-high three shots in just 18 minutes of play.
In a physical game replete with fouls, the Hawks stayed in it due in part to an outstanding performance at the free-throw line. They chipped away at the lead in the second half because of their marksmanship at the charity stripe. From 18:50 to 2:50—a 16-minute stretch—New Paltz's foul shooters made 14 consecutive free throws. On the contest, the Hawks shot 76.7 percent (33-of-43) from the line.
New Paltz seeks to level its league record tomorrow afternoon, as it hosts SUNY Fredonia at 4 p.m. in the Hawk Center.
