Box Score Williamsport, PA — After nearly a three-week hiatus from its last game, the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball were back in action Friday to take on tournament host and No. 9 nationally ranked Lycoming College in the opening round of the Louis Fleming Basinger Memorial Tournament. 

The Hawks (3-7) put up a valiant effort against the undefeated Warriors (12-0), but ultimately they took their fifth-straight loss on the road after falling, 89-68.

"Lycoming is a top team in the country and sped us up in the first half and forced us into bad decisions, turnovers and rushed shots," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Kenney. "I was happy with our second half effort after we settled in and outscored them in the half."
 
After the Hawks knocked down the opening points of the game, the Warriors went on a 14-2 run in the following four minutes to gain the lead and force Kenney to call his first timeout.
 
SUNY New Paltz had the 6-2 advantage in the next five minutes following the timeout, cutting the deficit to four, but Lycoming kept a stronghold on the lead and extended its cushion to as many as 28 and took a 54-27 advantage at the half.
 
The Hawks slowed down the tempo and played more consistently in the second half, upping their shooting percentage (45.5) and 3-point percentage (42.1).
 
Tristan Wissemann and Dylan Balducci led SUNY New Paltz with 13 points, followed by Nick Paquette with 12 points. Wissemann added three blocks and three rebounds, while Paquette finished with eight boards.
 
The Hawks are back on the floor at Lycoming College at 1 p.m. against either Carnegie Melon or King's College. For live updates, recaps, photos, video and more, be sure to follow @nphawks on Twitter and @newpaltzhawks on Instagram and Facebook.