New Paltz, NY — The last time the State University of New York at New Paltz faced a nationally ranked Oswego team, it pulled one of the biggest upsets in the conference during the regular season, handing the Lakers their first SUNYAC loss of the season.
 
Nearly a year later, the Hawks (8-8 overall, 6-4 SUNYAC) were looking to knock off an Oswego team that entered the matchup Saturday at No. 20 in the national poll and atop the league standings. However, they couldn't replicate the same results of 2022, and instead dropped a tough game to one of the best teams in the country, 106-75.
 
SUNY New Paltz led just once in the game, which came in the opening five minutes after a 3-pointer by Sean St. Lucia pushed the hosts ahead, 9-6. Isaiah Bien-Aise helped the Hawks keep the lead with another 3-ball, but the Lakers came storming back with a 10-0 run to take a 20-12 advantage midway through the first half and never relinquished the lead from that point forward. Bien-Aise put an end to the scoreless stretch with a put-back, but Oswego immediately answered with nine-straight points to start opening up the game.
 
Ultimately, the Lakers ended the last five minutes of the first half on a 20-2 run and took a commanding 51-23 lead at the break, which proved too much to overcome for the Hawks.  
SUNY New Paltz improved offensively in the final 20 minutes, upping its shooting from 33.3 percent to 43.2 percent from the floor, scoring 52 points in the period and trimming the deficit to as close as 29, but couldn't slow down the Lakers offensively who finished the night shooting 58.3 percent from the field, including a near 63 percent clip in the first half, to go along with making 10-for-20 from 3-point range.
 
Bien-Aise led SUNY New Paltz as the only player in double-figures for the hosts, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds Oswego, meanwhile, had four players in double-digit points including Kaleb Cook (19), Cartier Bowman (17), Ahkee Anderson (15) and Jeremiah Sparks (15).
 
The loss pushes the Hawks fifth in the SUNYAC standings at 6-4 with the Lakers (15-2, 9-1) sitting in second with one loss.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns to the Hawk Center next weekend, completing its home-and-home against Buffalo State and Fredonia Jan. 27 and 28, respectively.

********************
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.