The State University of New York at New Paltz continues conference play Friday and Saturday when it travels to SUNY Geneseo and The College at Brockport, respectively.
 
The Hawks (4-7 overall, 0-4 SUNYAC) are still in need of their first State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win of the season after dropping their fourth conference game Tuesday at home against defending conference champions, Oswego State.
 
SUNY New Paltz had a hot start against the Lakers and built an early nine-point lead, but had a rough final 10 minutes of the first half, which allowed the Lakers to gain the advantage and build a double-digit cushion at the break. The Hawks couldn't climb out of the deficit and early foul trouble in the second half allowed Oswego to put the game away at the free throw line, as they finished 19-of-25.
 
 
"That is what we talked about is consistency," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Kenney. "That's what great teams do, is do those things consistently. We haven't been consistent the whole year. We know we are capable of playing the right way. We just haven't done it enough on a regular basis. That has kind of been the focus is to be consistent with the game plan and what we want to do for a full game. We can't afford to have stretches when we don't do that."
 
The Hawks have struggled offensively as of late, averaging 56 points per game in their last seven outings. Tristan Wissemann leads the team thus far with 14.2 points per game and has scored team-high's in SUNY New Paltz's last three contests, including a career-high against Oneonta after finishing with 31 points.
 
Jake Passaretti and RJ Meyers-Turner have also paced the Hawks with team-high's throughout the season, but have gone through a tough shooting stretch. After shooting 46 percent in the first six games and averaging 16 points per game, Meyers-Turner has made 5-for-41 from the floor with 22 combined points. He still is averaging 10.8 points per game and is a difference maker on the offensive side of the floor with his quickness and sharp shooting. Passaretti has also struggled from the perimeter as of late, but is still second on the team with 12 points per game.  
The Hawks have had a solid few days of practice, and hope to turn their fortunes around on the weekend. They have seen the potential of how their team can play, but as Kenney reiterated, they are just looking to play more consistently on both sides of the floor to help themselves get back into playoff contention. 
 
"I think the good news is that we have seen what we're capable of. It's not like we haven't done it," Kenney said. "… Certain guys have struggled a little and they are working hard to get back into it. I think we just kind of have to continue to stress sharing the ball and making good decisions. I think when you start losing and getting down you start pressing a little bit and rushing, so we've been working on that a lot lately. We've seen it, so we know it can happen, but obviously we just got to go out and do it."
 
Geneseo is a game ahead of SUNY New Paltz in the SUNYAC standings, earning its lone conference win against Plattsburgh State Jan. 10, but fell to Cortland, Oswego and Potsdam. The Knights are 4-8 overall, but have lost five of their last six.
 
Despite their record, Geneseo is one of the best defensive teams in the conference. It has allowed an average of 67.8 points against, keeping the opposition to 29.2 percent shooting, ranking first and second best, respectively, in the SUNYAC.
 
Sophomore forward Michael Gannon leads the team with 14.1 points per game, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc. Senior guard Terrance Nichols and junior forward Alex Merhige follows offensively with 11.1 and 10.4 points per game, respectively.
 
"They are a really good defensive team," said Kenney. "They've held a lot of the top teams in the league well below their offensive averages. I know they have struggled a little record wise just like us, but that team is always really hard to guard and that team always guards you well. Whether you beat them or not, they are really well coached and they're smart. They play the right way and they share the ball. It's never about their record. It is always a tough game."
 
The Eagles (9-3, 4-1) are one of the best teams in the conference thus far, going 4-1 in their first five SUNYAC games, losing to just SUNY Potsdam Jan. 10, but they also handed the Lakers their only conference defeat of the season.
 
Senior forward Justin Summers leads the team offensively, averaging 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He has already registered three double-double performances, while shooting consistently throughout the year at 56.6 percent and leads Brockport in blocks (16). Sophomore guard Jahidi Wallace follows, averaging 14.1 points and five boards per game, while also shooting above 50 percent from the field.
 
The Eagles have one of the best offenses in the SUNYAC, shooting 45.7 percent as a team and averaging about 83 points per game. Defensively they have allowed nearly 76 points a contest with the opposition shooting 42.8 and 32.1 percent from the field and 3-point range, respectively.
 
"Brockport is always tough. They are very deep. They have a lot of guys and they play really hard," Kenney added. "With us last year and this year it's just about matching their toughness and intensity. We know they are going to defend really hard and rebound really hard. With them it's not really about strategy, it's just about toughness and fight, and competing. They are really rolling this year, so we're looking forward to that challenge. We played well against them last year, but we're going to start off that way this year against them."
 
The Hawks tip-off against the Knights Friday at 7:30 p.m. and then will take on the Eagles Saturday at 4 p.m.

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