The State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team opens the second half of the 2022-23 season Saturday afternoon at home against the Red Dragons of Oneonta in a contest that has both teams hungry for a win.
 
Both teams are coming off end of the year tournament losses; Oneonta dropping both games in the Stevens Holiday Tournament, first to No. 15 ranked Wheaton (IL) 79-67 and losing a heartbreaker 80-78 to Dickinson (PA). SUNY New Paltz fell in the Eastern Connecticut Holiday Invitational, losing to ninth ranked Middlebury 72-61 and New Jersey City University, 77-60.
 
Oneonta held an overall 8-4 record and currently stands fourth in the SUNYAC with an 4-1 record, its only conference blemish being an 82-79 home loss to the Hawks on Nov. 29. Its four SUNYAC wins has come against opponents SUNY New Paltz has also defeated, downing Plattsburgh 83-73, Potsdam 81-52, Buffalo State 75-64, and Fredonia 74-62.
 
As a team, the Red Dragons have been averaging 76.8 points per game while limiting foes to 63.8 points per game. They have outrebounded opponents 44.8 to 30.0 and have created an average of 16.3 turnovers per game with 7.8 steals per game.
 
Leading Oneonta are three seniors: 6-foot, 5-inch Joseph Bull (Bronx, NY), 6'6 guard/forward Daniel Derice (Tampa, FL) and 6'4 Michael Ortale (Delmar, NY). Bull averages 15.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game and has dished out a team-leading 43 assists. Against SUNY New Paltz in November, he scored  12 points with eight rebounds. Derice is averaging 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and leads the team in steals with 22. Agianst the Hawks, he scored a team-high 16 points with eight rebounds and three steals. Ortale averages 12.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with 31 assists, In November he had 10 points and six rebounds against the Hawks. Joining this group is 5'11" sophomore guard/forward Graham Wooden (Oneonta, NY) with 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game to go along with 30 assists. He scored 15 points in the November home loss to SUNY New Paltz.
 
The Hawks currently stand at 7-4 overall and have a 5-0 SUNYAC record. In addition to defeating Oneonta, they have beaten Potsdam 79-74, Plattsburgh 107-85, Fredonia 66-57 and Buffalo State 75-65 in SUNYAC play.
 
SUNY New Paltz has been averaging 78.5 points per game, while giving up 73.7 points per game, The Hawks are pulling down 37.5 rebounds per game versus 36.9 for opponents and totaled 88 steals on the season, while causing an average of 16 turnovers per game.