Geneseo, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz opened up SUNYAC play on the road Friday and came back to secure a 73-69 win.
 
The two teams battled throughout the 40 minutes, seeing the score tied seven times with six different lead changes. Dakoda Smith tied the score at 37 entering halftime for the Hawks, but the Knights came out the second half hot and took a seven-point lead within the opening two minutes of the period.
 
Tyreik Frazier picked the pocket of Geneseo's Cole Kattan on the offensive end to force a turnover with Alex Krupinski capitalizing, draining a straight-on 3-pointer to tie the score at 44 one minute later to break up the hosts run. From the tied score at around the 17-minute mark, the Hawks and Knights were knotted three times before a pair of made free throws pushed Geneseo ahead by one with less than nine minutes to go.
 
The hosts held onto the lead in the waning minutes and stretched the difference to as many as six with four minutes left until SUNY New Paltz started working its way back. Ethan St. Lucia, who starred for the Knights the last two seasons before transferring to the Hawks ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, came up clutch against his former team, burying a trey to ignite a 10-point SUNY New Paltz run.
 
Frazier then forced another steal on the defensive, which led to a bucket in transition for the big-man, which got the Hawks within one at 67-66 with about three minutes to play. A good defensive stand by SUNY New Paltz resulted in a poor shot by the Knights and SUNY New Paltz answered with a swish from the perimeter by A.J. Knight to put the team back in front by two.
The Hawks continued its stingy halfcourt defense and forced a turnover on a travel by Geneseo, leading to a timeout by the hosts with two minutes to go and SUNY New Paltz ahead, 69-67. Rylan Blondo got a look from the corner but came up short with the Knights getting the defensive board, but Sean St. Lucia was active around the ball, and came up with a quick steal and easy basket underneath to up the Hawks lead to four.
 
Frazier came up with a huge block on the defensive end, pinning a shot by the Knights' Sebastian Pacheco on the glass for another defensive stop but SUNY New Paltz couldn't get points on its ensuing offensive possession with Knight's floater hitting off the rim. Geneseo finally broke the scoreless stretch with a baseline jumper by Kattan to cut the difference to 71-69 with less than 30 seconds to play.
 
The Knights had a chance to tie after forcing a turnover off their press, but the Hawks stayed tight defensively on the ensuing inbound underneath Geneseo's basket, forcing a tough shot on a contested fade away jumper by Kattan, which came up short. Blondo secured the defensive board, and the Knights were forced to foul to stop the clock, but Blondo made both in the final seconds to ice the win.
 
Blondo led SUNY New Paltz with 16 points in 33 minutes with a team-leading eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Knight and Sean St. Lucia both finished with 10 points apiece, with the former totaling three assists and three steals, while the latter added four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Krupinski followed with nine points off the bench, while Ethan St. Lucia recorded five points, two rebounds and three steals in 17 minutes off the bench.
 
The Hawks are back in action Saturday, going on the road to face SUNY Brockport at 4 p.m.

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