Oneonta, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz lost a tough overtime game against SUNY Oneonta Saturday, 85-77.
 
The Hawks (17-6 overall, 11-5 SUNYAC) held onto an eight-point lead with just more than two minutes remaining, but an 8-0 run by the hosting Red Dragons to end the second half forced overtime. Oneonta took the momentum into the extra five minutes of play and got out to a six-point lead and held on the rest of the way to claim the series sweep.
 
SUNY New Paltz held a three-point lead at the end of the first half after holding the lead for the majority of the period following a 13-13 tie midway through the stanza. Kobe Bogart pushed the advantage to six with less than a minute left after hitting in the paint, but Oneonta brought the score down to 45-42 as Mohammad Sylla drained his attempt from behind the arc on his team's final offensive possession.
 
The Red Dragons re-took the lead early in the second half after two straight made baskets, but Rylan Blondo regained the advantage for the Hawks with a pair of made free throws one minute later. Oneonta answered with a bucket, but Sean St. Lucia then pushed SUNY New Paltz back ahead with two made free throws of his own and from there the Hawks stayed ahead for the majority of the half.
 
Xavier Hill trimmed the difference to two with just more than three minutes left, but SUNY New Paltz's Dakoda Smith answered as he backed down his defender on the block and got his attempt to go to create a four-point cushion. Bogart then got into the paint and added two more to the lead before a steal by Tyreik Frazier led to a dunk by the big-man and pushed the visitors to its largest lead at 71-63 with two minutes to go.
The Red Dragons quickly answered the other way, pulling up for a made 3 to create a two-possession game. Bogart scored on the Hawks' ensuing offensive possession, but the team went cold from there with Oneonta scoring seven-straight to tie the game at 73-all. Back-to-back makes at the hoop allowed the Red Dragons to get within three and following a steal by Caleb Brown, Sylla knocked down a 3-point attempt to tie the game with 31 seconds left in regulation.
 
A.J. Knight had an opportunity to give SUNY New Paltz the lead, as he drove and put up a shot in the lane, but his attempt was just too strong with the Red Dragons picking up the defensive board, ultimately resulting in extra time.
 
The Hawks offense stalled in overtime, only hitting once from the field going 1-for-11, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range. The Red Dragons hit from the foul line to open up the extra period before Hill knocked down a basket from the perimeter to gain a five-point cushion, which they carried down the stretch to clinch the eight-point win.
 
Knight and Bogart led SUNY New Paltz offensively with 17 points and five rebounds apiece. St. Lucia, Blondo and Frazier each followed with 10 points with St. Lucia adding four steals and four assists with two rebounds, and Blondo and Frazier posting five boards with the latter totaling a team-high three blocks.
 
Despite the loss against the Red Dragons, the Hawks still remain in second place in the SUNYAC standings with a first round bye on the line with Brockport falling to Cortland and Oswego on back-to-back nights.

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