The men’s basketball team hosted SUNY IT Tuesday evening and fell to the Wildcats 97-85. SUNY IT shot an impressive 56.3% from the floor and had four players in score in double digits. New Paltz shot 44.9% from the floor and also had four players in double digits.
New Paltz took an early 5-0 and held the five point lead at 25-20 with 10:21 left in the first half. The Wildcats came back and tied the game for the eighth and final time at 29-29 before going on a 12-3 run over the next 2:10 en route to a 48-42 half time score in favor of the Wildcats.
The Hawks trailed by as many as 19 in the second half at 87-68 with 6:13 left in regulation. New Paltz cut the lead to 11 with 3:13 left but could not come any closer.
First year Shereef Taylor (Hyde Park, NY/FDR High School) led the Hawks with 17 points on 7-14 from the floor with five rebounds. Jayquan Anderson (Bronx/Frederick Douglass Academy) chipped in with 15 points and seven boards and junior Lee Bertram (Bayport/Bayport Blue-Point) added 14 points. Shalik Jenkins (Brooklyn/Boys and Girls) finished with 11 points.
SUNY IT was led by Diloo Brown with 27 points on 10-14 from the floor and 10 rebounds. Ajani Edwards finished with 25 points.
New Paltz falls to 1-3 on the season and will return to the court on Tuesday December 2nd when they travel to Morrisville to begin conference play at 8:00 pm.
