Geneseo, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz overcame a 19-point deficit Friday night against hosting Geneseo and had a career-high 31-point outing from Rylan Blondo, but the comeback fell just short as the Knights pulled away with the 77-75 win.
 
After the Hawks earned their first lead since the opening minutes with less than a minute to play, the Knights responded with a corner 3 to take a two-point lead with 2.8 seconds remaining. After advancing the ball, SUNY New Paltz had a chance to complete the stunning come-from-behind victory with a last second buzzer beater and even got the ball to its best 3-point shooter in Solomon Neuhaus. But credit to the Knights defense who got a hand on the ball to not allow Neuhaus a clean look and ultimately the buzzer sounded before the Hawks could even get an attempt up cutting the comeback short.
 
SUNY New Paltz struggled slowing down Geneseo's offense early in the first half with the hosts shooting above 60 percent for most of the opening 20 minutes. The Knights took their largest lead at 35-16 with seven minutes to go before the break before Blondo helped the Hawks back in the game by attacking the Knights zone defense. He earned an and-1 with a tough finish at the hoop to break up a 10-0 run from Geneseo and two possessions later got back to the foul line, making both attempts, to help his team inch to within 17 with about six minutes to go.
 
Although SUNY New Paltz started hitting more on the offensive end, they couldn't get a stop defensively until it started on a 10-0 run with 1:21 left before the break, which helped tighten the game. Sean St. Lucia got the Hawks back within 10 after earning an and-1 in transition. He then added on a play later to get his team within eight after finishing on another drive to the hoop. The two teams traded consecutive baskets with the score standing 45-35 at the break. 
 
The Knights scored more than half of their points in the paint and totaled 15 assists in the first half alone, while finishing 19-of-34 attempts to help establish its 10-point cushion. In the second half though, the Hawks tightened up their defense inside and kept Geneseo to just 37 percent from the field, allowing them to hit just 10-of-27, but early foul trouble gave the Knights extra chances at the foul line on 1-and-1 opportunities after the Hawks got into the penalty with more than eight minutes left.
 
SUNY New Paltz kept creeping on the lead to open up the second half with St. Lucia hitting two 3's within the first five minutes to trim the deficit to seven twice. The Knights answered on the offensive end and kept the Hawks at arms-length for the majority of the half before they steadily started eating away at the once double-digit lead.
 
Blondo continued to stay aggressive off the dribble and hit a jumper in the paint to get his team within five with about 10:30 left to play. Geneseo answered by getting to the foul line and brought the difference back to 10 before Blondo knocked down a corner 3 off a great feed from St. Lucia. After a defensive stop next time down the floor, Blondo quickly made the Knights pay with his quickness running the floor and cut the score to 65-60 with about eight minutes to play.
 
After Geneseo pushed its cushion once more to as many as nine, St. Lucia brought the difference back down to five one last time with a pair of made free throws. St. Lucia then delivered on the defensive end as well, forcing a steal and pushing the ball up the floor to Blondo who got hit on his way up to get back to the charity stripe where he connected on both attempts to cut the score, 69-63 with more than five minutes to play.
 
The Hawks stuck around but didn't take their first lead until Lucas Seyoum drilled a 3-pointer with a minute remaining to get his team within one. Blondo then picked the pocket of the Knights' Harrison Dignan with Tyreik Frazier becoming the beneficiary on the offensive end, as he connected on a put-back off the initial miss by Neuhaus to give SUNY New Paltz its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.
 
With 17 seconds remaining, the Knights called a timeout to draw up a play. Out of the break they were patient in their offense, using time off the clock and moved the ball around before finding Raymond Grabowski in the corner who knocked down the 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to boost Geneseo ahead, 77-75.
 
Hawk coach Keith Kenney called a timeout to stop the clock and called another after SUNY New Paltz inbounded and advanced the ball over mid-court. On the inbounds play with just 1.9 seconds left on the clock, the Hawks found Neuhaus at the top of the arc, but the sophomore guard couldn't get a handle on the ball to put up a shot before the buzzer sounded, which finalized the 77-75 outcome.
 
Blondo was the catalyst throughout the game, as he posted career-high's in points and free throws made, going 13-for-14 from the line. Along with leading the team with 31 points, he also paced SUNY New Paltz with nine rebounds, three assists and four steals in 35 minutes.
 
St. Lucia followed with 17 points, six rebounds, two steals, two assists and one block. Isaiah Bien-Aise was the only other Hawk in double-figures, recording 10 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes.
 
The Hawks are back in action Saturday when they face The College at Brockport for a 4 p.m. tip.

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