The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced its annual conference awards Tuesday with two SUNY New Paltz men's basketball players earning All-SUNYAC honors in wings LaMar Matthews and Isaiah Rivera.
 
To view the full 2025-26 All SUNYAC Men's Basketball team, click here: 
 
In their final SUNYAC season, the Hawks posted a 13-13 overall record and an 11-8 conference mark, good enough to earn them a record-setting fifth consecutive trip to the SUNYAC Championship tournament where they earned a No. 4 seed. Though knocked off in the quarterfinals, a young SUNY New Paltz squad showed determination and gained valuable experience that will aid them in the transition to the NJAC next season.
 
Matthews and Rivera were key parts of the team's success this past winter and as a result, both enjoyed their first All-SUNYAC selections of their careers.
 
To read more about Matthews and Rivera, continue below:

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Second Team All-SUNYAC
 
LaMar Matthews (senior/wing)
Buffalo, NY/Tapestry Charter HS
 
After transferring to the Hawks last season, Matthews stepped back into the starting lineup and became the team's top offensive weapon in a breakout senior season.
 
One of two seniors on the team, Matthews helped guide a relatively youthful SUNY New Paltz team that won 11 of their last 16 games to clinch a home playoff spot for the second straight year with Matthews leading the charge, posting game-high's four times in that stretch.
 
The Buffalo, NY native saw action in 26 games, starting 25 of 26 contests with a team topping 1,139 minutes on the court. He led the Hawks in scoring with 422 points for a 16.2 points per game average, while also shooting a team-leading .526 field goal percentage and was second with 163 rebounds, along with fourth in steals with 26. Matthews scored double figures in 21 of 26 games, hit for 20-plus points in 10 games and had four double-doubles (Bard, SUNY Maritime, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Morrisville), while notching a season and career-high 30 points against Fredonia (2/7/26).
 
In SUNYAC action, Matthews started 17 of 18 games and led the team in minutes with 625, field goal percentage at .557, rebounds with 121 and points with 321. Against conference opponents, Matthews averaged 17.8 points per game, ranking second in total points and third in points per game, along with finishing second in minutes played, third in minutes per game and third in field goal percentage.

Matthews had some big games, especially late in the season as he scored in double figures in the Hawks' nine of their last 10 games, including 20-plus points five times in that stretch with back-to-back 25-point outings in SUNY New Paltz's final games of the year against Potsdam and Plattsburgh. The biggest highlight was during the Hawks' final regular season weekend with playoff seeding on the line against the Cardinals. Matthews knocked down his first career game-winning buzzer beater, burying a 3-point attempt in the final seconds as the horn sounded to clinch the No. 4 seed for his team and quarterfinal hosting duties.
 

Second Team All-SUNYAC
 
Isaiah Rivera (sophomore/wing)
Bronx, NY/Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom School
 
Coming off a strong freshman season, Rivera kept the momentum going with another stellar campaign and earned his first All-SUNYAC selection as he proved himself as one of the best in the conference in just his second year.
 
Rivera started 25 of 25 games played, with 750 minutes on the court, second among the Hawks. The Bronx, NY native averaged a highly respectable 52.8 percent from the field, hitting on 141-of-267 attempts, scoring 380 points, ranking second most on the team. He also added 45 assists on the year, a career high.
 
Not just a scorer, Rivera was the team's best rebounder and one of their most versatile defenders with his length and athleticism. He grabbed a team leading 178 rebounds, averaging 7.1 per game. Rivera also finished the year with 40 steals, third on the team and averaged nearly two a contest, while totaling a team-most 27 blocks as he posted more than one block per game. 
 
Rivera scored double-figure points in 19 games, including seven with 20-plus performances.  He had three double doubles (Brooklyn, Vassar and Buffalo State) on the year and netted a season and career high of 27 points against SUNY Morrisville; a season and career high 13 rebounds against Brooklyn, along with a season high five steals against SUNY Canton.
 
Against SUNYAC competition, Rivera started 17 of 17 games with 481 court minutes. He scored 238 points, tied for second for the Hawks with 102 rebounds, 31 assists and 25 steals and shot .521 from the floor. He ranked in the top 12 of SUNYAC statistics in defensive rebounds, field goal percentage, points, blocks and steals.
 
 
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