Box Score New Paltz, NY — Although visiting Western Connecticut State University made a late rally Tuesday, there was, not at any point, doubt in the minds of the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team that it was going to walk out of the Hawk Center without a win.
 
"We all actually recognized after the game that we never thought that we would lose the game," said Hawks sophomore guard/forward Tristan Wissemann following his team's, 83-75, victory. "Not once did we lose control. No one lost their temper or anything; lost their emotions. We just kept control the whole game and stuck through until the end."
 
SUNY New Paltz (3-6) netted the opening points of the game and led by as many as 11, but the Colonials (5-4) came back to tie the score twice down the stretch and even took a slight one-point advantage with about a minute left.
 
But, the Hawks never panicked and answered each run Western Connecticut State University made and quickly erased the deficit to get back on top.
 
"They have a good record and have beaten some good teams. It is a quality team and we knew they were going to come back to be honest," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Kenney. "We were up 10 or 12 and were hoping to push it up to 20, but we didn't. But it shows good character that they decided to not let them get a lead and we come back, so yeah that is exciting. That is a good sign."
 
The Hawks led by as many as nine in the first half, as they did a good job of handling the Colonials full court press and defensively did a solid job of limiting Western Connecticut State University to just 24 points with about two minutes remaining before the break.
 
"I think we handled the press decent all year long," Kenney said. "We weren't sure they were going to press, but we definitely practice it enough where we feel more comfortable against the press. I think we handled it well."

Despite the Colonials ending the half strong, scoring 10 points in the last two-plus minutes, the Hawks held a 39-34 advantage and was just two points shy of tying a season-low for points given up in the half, which came in a win against SUNY Geneseo.
 
"I have to look at the film, but the numbers were good," Kenney said. "I don't know if that was because they were just missing shots or we were forcing them to take contested shots. I couldn't really tell, but yeah I was definitely satisfied first half defensively. Usually they shoot pretty well from 3 and they didn't. I think we have something to do with that."
 
Western Connecticut State University continued making runs in the second half, but if it was Kevin Coyle hitting five-straight points, Dylan Balducci knocking down a big 3, Brandon Guest with a momentum-shifting dunk in transition or Wissemann pulling down key offensive rebound after offensive rebound, the Hawks kept answering.
 
The Colonials finally saw their first lead of the night after Rashard Rodriguez made the back end of a pair of free throws with 1:34 to play, which pushed his team ahead by one.
 
But their lead lasted just 18 seconds before Balducci responded with a floater in the lane to give the Hawks back the advantage.
 
SUNY New Paltz then closed out the game at the free throw line.

The Hawks made a conscious effort to get inside the paint in the second half and capitalized by putting Western Connecticut State in the penalty with 10:45 still to go in the game. SUNY New Paltz made 20-of-26 from the line in the second half alone, and finished 21-of-27 in the contest.
 
"At halftime we recognized we only shot [one] foul shot and coach told us to stay aggressive going to the basket," said Wissemann. "And we got into the bonus relatively early I think, seven or eight minutes into the half, and that definitely helped us."
 
As a team, the Hawks shot 46.7 percent from the floor while holding the Colonials, who average around 40 percent from the field, to just 34.7 percent shooting, including 27.3 percent from 3-point range.
 
"We keyed in during practice on their shooters," Wissemann said. "We made sure we knew their personel. Every time out the coaches would point out the shooters to us and we just went out there and executed."
 
Wissemann and Guest led SUNY New Paltz with 14 points apiece. Guest notched his second double-double of the season after pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and two blocks, while Wissemann added eight boards and an assist.
 
Coyle (12 points, four rebounds), Balducci (10 points, three rebounds) and Cory Garcia (eight points, four rebounds) followed offensively.
 
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Hawks, who are back in action Dec. 29 and 30 when they participate in the Lycoming Tournament in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
 
"I think it was really important because Oneonta really hurt us. We were really disappointed after that game," Kenney said of his team's previous loss. "But, like I said [Western Connecticut State University] is a really good opponent, so I think it is good to have a couple weeks off after a win and we can enjoy the holiday a little."

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