New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz overcame a second-half surge from visiting Hunter College Saturday to claim a 76-71 overtime win over the Hawks to improve to 8-1 on the season.
 
SUNY New Paltz took a 38-22 lead into halftime as it shot efficiently from the floor (46 percent), while limiting the visiting Hawks to just eight made baskets on 24 percent shooting. The hosts quickly built a double-digit cushion seven minutes into the game with Rylan Blondo scoring in the paint to establish a 14-4 advantage. They maintained the comfortable cushion and created their largest lead of 18 following a Thomas Keane bucket off a feed from Sean St. Lucia with less than five minutes left in the period.
 
Hunter came out hot to start the second half as a 9-0 run to open up helped trim the deficit to seven two minutes in. The hosting Hawks held onto the lead until the 13-minute mark with Hunter hitting a 3-pointer to tie the score at 46 before officially overtaking the lead with a bucket in the paint by Jeremy Montrose two minutes later.
 
The score was tied five more times down the stretch including in the final minute thanks to a put-back by Kobe Bogart to knot the score at 64 for the hosts. Hunter had a chance at the win in regulation, but the 3-point attempt was off the mark, forcing overtime.  
SUNY New Paltz out-played Hunter in the extra five minutes with Bogart leading the way, as he worked his way in the paint for back-to-back trips to the foul line to establish a 69-65 lead for his team and the Hawks never trailed from there. The visiting Hawks answered with a basket in the paint, but Blondo re-established the four-point difference with a block on one end and a finish in the paint on the other. Hunter got within one in the final minute, but Blondo again came up big for his team with a made basket underneath before swishing two free throws in the final seconds to ice the win.
 
Blondo led the Hawks with 17 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists, two blocks and a steal. Bogart and A.J. Knight each had 11 points with Bogart also contributing seven rebounds, two blocks and three steals. St. Lucia followed with nine points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals but played only 22 minutes as he battled foul trouble throughout the game. Alex Krupsinski came off the bench and helped with nine points as well, while adding two rebounds and two assists.
 
The Hawks have a long hiatus as they resume play next year with their next game coming against SUNYAC rival SUNY Oneonta Jan. 6 in the Hawk Center at 4 p.m.

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