Box Score Potsdam, NY — It was a tight contest for about 30 minutes Friday between the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team and SUNY Potsdam, separated by a few points throughout that span. However, an 11-2 run midway through the second half created a big enough cushion for the Bears (11-13 overall, 6-11 SUNYAC) down the stretch to escape with the eventual, 68-56, win.
 
"We couldn't score tonight," said Hawks coach Keith Kenney. "Our offense was non existent. We played good defense, but we're not making our shots."
 
SUNY New Paltz (7-17, 4-13) struggled from the field in the game, making just 33.8 percent of its shots and scoring a season-low 56 points.
 
But, despite the Hawks' shooting woes they kept the game close.  An 8-0 run to the end half, thanks to buckets by Cory Garcia, Tristan Wissemann and Dylan Balducci, cut the Bears' lead down to one entering the half.
 
Although the Hawks kept the score within a few points to open up the second half, they couldn't get the go-ahead shot to fall.
 
With about 11 minutes remaining, SUNY New Paltz was down by just four, but in about a five-minute span, the Hawks hit just one shot, while SUNY Potsdam's run created a 13-point cushion that they couldn't overcome.
 
Balducci led his team offensively, making 8-of-15 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range for a game-high 20 points. Brandon Guest followed with 13 points and was a rebound shy of collecting his fourth double-double of the season, while Wissemann followed with 10 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Hawks finish their season on the road against the top team in the conference, Plattsburgh State. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. For updates, scores, recaps and everything #NPHawks, be sure to follow @nphawks on Twitter and @newpaltzhawks on Instagram and Facebook.