Potsdam, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz suffered its first conference loss of the season in a tight contest on the road against SUNY Potsdam Friday night.
 
The Hawks and Bears had 14 different lead changes with the score tied 11 times throughout the game, but hosting Potsdam came out on top to earn the 75-72 win.
 
SUNY New Paltz led by as many as seven in the first half, which came on a put-back dunk by Tyreik Frazier and then a nifty up-and-under finish by Sean St. Lucia midway through the first half. The Bears worked their way back to tie the game at 26 following a 3-pointer by Colton Huestis with about five minutes left and then the hosts took their first lead with another made shot from behind the arc, this time by Parker Kelly. Rylan Blondo helped SUNY New Paltz tied the game at 29 after getting hit on a put-back following an offensive board, making the back end of a pair of free throws. He then pushed his team out in front on the following possession with St. Lucia finding Blondo for two more inside.
 
Potsdam's Tyrese Baptise, who had a monster game, finishing with 22 points and 21 rebounds, answered for the Bears with a bucket and foul on the opposite end. After connecting on the free throw and completing the traditional three-point play, Potsdam owned a 32-31 advantage with two minutes to go in the half. Lucas Seyoum hit from the perimeter to give the Hawks a two-point lead, but Huestis earned a trip to the line and made 1-of-2 to cut the advantage to 34-33 at the break. 
"We knew Baptise was going to get his, he's a great player," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Kenney. "We fouled too much in the second half and gave too many free throw attempts. We had three guards in foul trouble and that hurt us too much."
 
The Hawks opened up with a 5-0 run to start the second half, but Huestis countered with a quick three-point play in transition, getting the basket and the foul to get his team within three. Solomon Neahuas knocked down a 3-pointer for SUNY New Paltz to bring the difference up to six, but the Hawks struggled finding the bottom of the hoop from there. Potsdam took a seven-point lead following a 12-0 run, which was capped by a bucket in the paint by Baptise. Blondo stopped the stretch, working hard to grab the offensive board, the put-back and the foul to trim the deficit to four following the made free throw on the three-point play. After a defensive stop, Neuhaus hit from 3 to cut the Bears lead, 53-52 with still 10-plus minutes remaining.
 
RJ Myers-Turner gave SUNY New Paltz the lead, crossing over and finishing in the paint with Brandon Scott adding on with a bucket following an nice feed by Frazier, but SUNY New Paltz had no answer for the Bears ability to get to the hoop, as their next five points came off plays in the paint.
 
In the final six minutes the game was tied at 61, 63, 64 and 68 before a made free throw by Potsdam brought the score to 69-68 Bears. A bad pass off an inbounds play led to an easy steal by Neuhaus who added the transition basket and gave SUNY New Paltz a 70-69 advantage. The two teams then exchanged leads three times before a jumper by the Bears with a minute remaining put the Bears ahead for good.

Blondo nearly tied the game, spinning into the lane and getting a look underneath but his attempt rolled out of play with Potsdam picking up the rebound and Blondo suffering his fifth and final foul on the play, while putting the Bears back on the line where they extended the lead to two with Parker making just one attempt.
 
With 28 seconds, Kenney called a timeout. St. Lucia kicked out a pass to Brandon Scott as play resumed, but his attempt was tipped out of bounds giving the Hawks another possession with 10.8 seconds remaining. Potsdam was guarding Neuhaus tightly, forcing him to move the ball to Seyoum who made a move inside and created space for a decent look for on a runner in the lane, but his attempt hit off the rim and out of play.
 
"We had a couple options on that last play and just didn't get it to fall," Kenney said. "We had a tough shooting night, but I know those shots will fall and we'll get better."
 
The Bears were sent back to the line and made 1-of-2 to keep SUNY New Paltz alive. With 2.7 seconds left the Hawks needed just a 3 to extend the game. The ball was in-bounded to Meyers- Turner who sprinted up the floor, but he couldn't gain his footing and slipped when reaching mid-court as time expired before getting an attempt at the hoop.
 
Blondo led his team with 17 points and 14 rebounds — seven boards coming on the offensive glass. Neuhaus followed with 15 points, while St. Lucia added 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back on the floor Saturday when it faces Plattsburgh State for a 4 p.m. tip.

********************************
To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.