After two weeks off, the SUNY Oneonta men's basketball team returned to action this evening against Roanoke in the opening game of the Tournament of Heroes hosted by Staten Island.  Senior Dwayne Freeman (Schenectady/Notre-Dame Bishop Gibbons) poured in 20 points to lead the Red Dragons to a 65-59 victory.  Oneonta (6-3) held off a late charge in the final three minutes by Roanoke (7-4).
 
The Red Dragons held a 63-52 lead with 2:48 remaining.  Reed Colton's three-pointer jump-started the final push that saw Roanoke get to within seven points with 42 seconds left on the clock.
 
After Freeman converted 1-of-2 free throws, CJ Miles made a three to put Roanoke in striking distance at 64-59 with 36 seconds remaining.   Miles missed a layup with 18 seconds left and sophomore Ian Schultz (Clifton Park/CBA) made 1-of-2 free throws to give Oneonta its six-point cushion.  Miles had one final attempt but was blocked by junior Matthew Boyd (Hempstead/Half Hollow Hills East) as time expired.
 
Oneonta never trailed in tonight's contest scoring the first seven points of the game including five by Schultz.  Schultz finished the game with 12 points to go with a team high seven rebounds.
 
The Red Dragons shot an even 50 percent from the floor in building a 41-32 lead at halftime.  They led by double digits for most of the final 10 minutes of the first half including a 13-point bulge when Sean Nolan (Voorheesville/Voorheesville) converted a pair of free throws at the 5:36 mark.
 
Oneonta went right to work in the first eight minutes of the second half pushing its lead to its largest at 56-36.  A couple of threes by Freeman and another by sophomore Carson Jacobs (Buchanan/Hendrick Hudson) fueled the 15-4 run.
 
Oneonta collected 17 assists on its 23 baskets in the game led by Boyd's nine helpers.  Boyd also added six rebounds and four steals.
 
Oneonta will now face the winner of Staten Island and Salisbury in the championship game tomorrow at 3pm.