Box Score Cortland, NY — The last time the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team faced off against SUNY Cortland, the Red Dragons went off from the perimeter in a lopsided victory. The Hawks (14-9 overall, 9-7 SUNYAC) avenged that early season loss Tuesday by limiting a high-octane Red Dragons offense to one of their lowest scoring out-puts of the season after earning a 67-61 victory.
 
"We defended well and learned from our last game with them, and changed how we defended," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Kenney. "I was particularly happy with how Cory Garcia defended. He was one of the biggest keys to our game."
 
The Hawks started getting hot midway through the first half, as a 15-1 run fueled a 15-point cushion with about five minutes remaining before the break. Isaiah Bien-Aise and Felix Riascos provided a spark off the bench, while Tristan Wissemann led the way offensively for SUNY New Paltz, scoring 10 of his team-high 19 points within the first 20 minutes. 
 
The Red Dragons started chipping away at the lead in the second half, as they got the Hawks into early foul trouble. However, unlike SUNY Cortland, SUNY New Paltz received great production off the bench, which finished with 24 points.
 
Starters Scott Reisert (six points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks) and Paddy Parr (four points, eight rebounds) each suffered their fourth fouls in the waning minutes of the game for the Hawks, but freshmen Bien-Aise, Brandon Scott and junior transfer Riascos stepped up in those minutes to help alleviate Resiert and Parr not on the floor.
 
"We got in some foul trouble, but guys off the bench like Felix, Brandon and Isaiah picked up the slack when we had foul trouble," Kenney said. "Cory and Tristan played a lot of minutes to help out as well."
 
Bien-Aise, especially, had one of his best outings of his young career. Along with knocking down a career-high 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field, he made clutch baskets down the stretch.
 
"Isaiah had a great game," Kenney said. "He shot the ball with confidence, but overall I was happiest with his defense and his decision making on offense. He brings energy and positivity to our program. He made some big plays and rebounded the ball well."
 
With about five minutes left, AJ Lawton knocked down a 3 for the Red Dragons to get his team within five, but on the next offensive possession for the Hawks, Bien-Aise matched Lawton's 3 with a 3-pointer of his own to push SUNY New Paltz's advantage back to eight. Ryan Schmadel knocked down another shot from the perimeter for SUNY Cortland, but Wissemann answered, as Garcia picked up a loose ball and had great awareness to find Wissemann for 3.
 
Parr then picked up his fourth foul on a flagrant foul call to put the Red Dragons' Justin Cooper on the line for two attempts. He made both and SUNY Cortland got back the ball, but the Hawks came up with a stop and Bien-Aise answered once more with a trey to boost his team's lead to nine with about three minutes to go.
 
SUNY Cortland trimmed the deficit to as little as four in the final minute, but the Hawks made 6-of-9 from the charity stripe in the last 55 seconds to ice the win.
 
Garcia followed Wissemann and Bien-Aise offensively with nine points and added a game-high seven assists with four rebounds in 37 minutes. Riascos, meanwhile, added six points and one rebound in seven minutes off the bench.
 
The victory keeps SUNY New Paltz in fifth in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) standings with two games left against Plattsburgh State and SUNY Potsdam, with the latter just a game back from the Hawks.
 
SUNY New Paltz will finish the regular season at home against the Bears Friday at 7:30 p.m. and then the Cardinals Saturday at 4 p.m. The Hawks will honor seniors Parr, Garcia and Nick Paquette prior to their finale against Plattsburgh.

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