PURCHASE, NY – The State University of New York New Paltz men's basketball team continued its unbeaten start to the 2026-27 season Tuesday evening, defeating host Purchase College, 84-70, to improve to 3-0 overall.
Coming off consecutive victories over Brooklyn College and Eastern Connecticut State, the Hawks carried their early-season momentum into their third straight non-conference matchup, shooting an efficient 56.7 percent from the field while placing five players in double figures.
Chris Whyte-Luciano led the offensive effort with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including three makes from beyond the arc. Trevor Amalfitano and Isaiah Rivera followed with 14 points apiece, while George Patsalos turned in an impressive all-around performance with 13 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Mo Sylla provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
SUNY New Paltz established itself early, opening the contest with a layup from Rivera before Purchase briefly took a 3-2 advantage. Rivera answered with another basket to put the Hawks back in front, and Patsalos followed with a finish inside before Whyte-Luciano knocked down a triple to extend the lead to 9-3 less than four minutes into the game.
The Panthers managed to cut the deficit to two, but SUNY New Paltz maintained control behind its balanced offensive attack. The Hawks continued finding opportunities around the basket, with Patsalos facilitating the offense and contributions coming throughout the rotation.
Leading 24-18 with less than eight minutes remaining in the opening half, SUNY New Paltz received a layup from Andrew Leonard before Patsalos added another basket inside. Rivera then connected from beyond the arc with 5:54 remaining, pushing the advantage into double figures at 31-20.
The Hawks continued building their lead down the stretch. Patsalos converted a jumper in the paint before Rivera added another layup, while Sylla knocked down a pair of free throws and assisted Patsalos on a transition basket that extended the advantage to 39-25 with just over three minutes remaining.
SUNY New Paltz entered the halftime break holding a 43-32 advantage after shooting a blistering 59.4 percent from the field through the opening 20 minutes.
Purchase attempted to cut into the deficit early in the second half, trimming the Hawks' lead to eight at 46-38. Whyte-Luciano responded with a jumper, and Patsalos followed with another basket inside before Whyte-Luciano buried a 3-pointer to make it 53-41.
Whyte-Luciano continued attacking, adding another layup as SUNY New Paltz maintained its double-digit cushion. Amalfitano helped keep the offense rolling, while Sylla capitalized on a Purchase turnover with a transition layup and converted the ensuing free throw to extend the lead to 65-47 with 12:19 remaining.
The Hawks continued to pull away as Patsalos found Whyte-Luciano for another finish inside before setting up Amalfitano for a triple that pushed the score to 70-50. Sylla followed with a 3-pointer of his own, giving SUNY New Paltz a 73-52 advantage with just under 10 minutes to play.
Purchase continued battling in the closing minutes, but the Hawks kept the hosts at arm's length. Whyte-Luciano connected on another 3-pointer with five minutes remaining, and Mike Miller added a layup to extend the advantage to 80-60. Rivera later knocked down his second triple of the contest as SUNY New Paltz closed out the 14-point road victory.
The Hawks finished 34-for-60 from the field and 9-for-20 from beyond the arc, converting at a 45-percent clip from 3-point range. SUNY New Paltz also held a 48-38 advantage in points in the paint, outscored Purchase 18-4 in transition and generated 24 points off turnovers.
Purchase was led by Maurice Western with 20 points, while Desmond Ward added 14 points and nine rebounds. The Panthers shot 36.8 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc.
SUNY New Paltz (3-0) returns to action Thursday, Nov. 12, traveling to Utica University for a 6 p.m. non-conference matchup.
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