In an intense game marked with numerous lead changes, including three in the final minute of play, the men’s basketball team fell to visiting SUNY Brockport, 71-70 on Feb. 2.
“We did enough to take the lead with 10 seconds to go and you know it just came down to a final possession either way,” head coach Steve Minton said. “Their final possession they got the two free throws, our final possession we were limited with time with only 2.2 [seconds], but we got a pretty good look at the basket and I really thought it was going in there for a second.”
Brockport junior Matt Lee netted the two free throws with two seconds remaining that put the game away.
Sophomore Gordon Lyons recorded his seventh double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Lyons also dished out three assists.
“[Lyons] is a guy that I think can be a marquee player in the conference [with] his ability to score, his ability to rebound,” Minton said. “We’re hoping that he just continues to get better and better … He’s got two years to go and I think can be a guy that can really help us do some special stuff.”
Junior Connor Fedge led the Knights with 19 points in 33 minutes of play. Sophomore Andy Drescher and senior Ryan Riefenhauser put up double digits, with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Geneseo fell to 10-4 in SUNYAC, second place behind SUNY Cortland who holds a nine-game winning streak heading into their Feb. 5 matchup against SUNY Oneonta. The Knights are 14-7 overall.
“While you hurt the way it ended up, it was a lot of fun to be a part of all in all,” Minton said. “I think in this particular situation, I think everyone can look within themselves and feel like they competed and they were tough; they really gave it their all.”
Missing from the lineup was junior point guard Thomas Decker who is tending to a shoulder injury from the SUNY Oswego game on Jan. 29.
“We’re trying to get him healthy and hope that he can finish out the year, whether it’s going this weekend at [SUNY] Potsdam or [SUNY] Plattsburgh or if it means having to wait another weekend in the last weekend of the season,” Minton said.
The Knights travel to the North Country for contests on Friday and Saturday Feb. 8 and 9, respectively. Only four games remain in the regular season.
The Knights are focusing on reclaiming the first-place position in the conference, Minton said. For playoffs, the first seed receives a first-round bye in addition to the privilege and convenience of hosting the semifinal and final rounds of SUNYACs. The second seed also receives a bye to the semifinal round. The single elimination championship begins Feb. 22.