Oswego, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz fell in a deep first-half hole Tuesday against hosting Oswego State, and although it had a better defensive second-half effort, the Hawks couldn't find their shooting touch to climb out of the deficit and ultimately fell, 80-55.
 
"We did not have our guys properly prepared for this game," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Kenney. "Oswego had a better game plan and executed well."
 
The Hawks (5-13 overall, 1-10 SUNYAC) suffered their third consecutive loss, while the Lakers (15-4, 9-3) earned their fourth-straight win to sit fourth in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) standings.
 
SUNY New Paltz struggled offensively throughout the night, but couldn't find an answer defensively in the first half for Oswego. The Lakers shot 57 percent in the first 20 minutes, making 20-of-35 attempts from the floor and 10-of-18 from 3-point range.  
Oswego grabbed a double-digit lead with 13 minutes left before halftime following a 3 by Joe Sullivan and never trailed by less than 10 from that point forward, ballooning its lead to as many as 32. It went into halftime touting a 54-25 cushion.
 
The Hawks limited the Lakers offense to just 26 second-half points, keeping them to just 23 percent from the field and 25 percent (3-12) from behind the arc. However, SUNY New Paltz stayed cold on the offensive side of the floor prohibiting any comeback efforts.
 
Tyreik Frazier and Brandon Scott led the Hawks off the bench, as both registered double-doubles on the night. Frazier finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, along with six blocks — which is tied for fourth-most in single game history with four other Hawks — in 24 minutes, while Scott recorded 10 points and 12 rebounds with an assist on the night.
 
SUNY New Paltz will look to regroup Friday and Saturday when it hosts SUNY Geneseo and league-leading The College at Brockport. Friday's game will be a "Green Out Game" to support mental health awareness, while Saturday's game will be a black out "Unity Game," which includes special halftime performances.

Tip-off for Friday's game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and Saturday's contest is at 4 p.m. in the Hawk Center.

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