The SUNY Oneonta men's basketball team nearly erased a 15-point deficit early in the second half, but had to settle for a 72-70 loss at Buffalo State today in SUNYAC action.  A last second three-point attempt by sophomore Kevin Mackin (Nanuet/Nanuet) didn't connect as the final buzzer sounded.
 
Oneonta's loss today coupled with an 85-68 defeat at Fredonia last night dropped the Red Dragons to 11-10 overall and 7-7 in SUNYAC play.  As Oneonta enters the final two weeks of the season, they are currently tied with Oswego for fifth place.  The top-6 teams qualify for the conference tournament, which begins the last week of February.
 
Trailing 42-27 after a Buffalo State (8-13, 4-11 SUNYAC) three-pointer at the 18:59 mark, the Red Dragons began its comeback.  Senior Dwayne Freeman (Schenectady/Notre-Dame Bishop Gibbons) buried a three-pointer at the 13-minute mark to get cut the deficit to seven points at 48-41.  Freeman led Oneonta in the game with 19 points.
 
Oneonta's deficit continued to waver back-and-forth between seven and ten points before a quick 6-2 spurt brought them to within a possession at 57-54 with 7:42 remaining.  Freshman Jacob Rodriguez (Bronx/Mount St. Michael Academy), who came off the bench to contribute 11 points today, made a pair of free throws.
 
Buffalo State pushed its lead back to seven points during the next four minutes before the Red Dragons scored eight unanswered to take its first lead since early in the first half at 68-67 with just over two minutes remaining.
 
Kareem Holmes made a three-pointer to give Buffalo State the lead back with under one minute to play.  The two squads exchanged two free throws apiece setting up the last second three attempt by Mackin.
 
Oneonta shot 33 percent and turned the ball over 15 times during the first half where they found themselves behind 39-25.
 
Joining Freeman and Rodriguez in double figures for Oneonta in the game were Mackin (10 pts) and sophomore Ian Schultz (Clifton Park/CBA) (12 pts).
 
In last night's loss at Fredonia, Oneonta never led and fell behind by as many as 23 points with eight minutes to go in the game.  Junior Matthew Boyd (Hempstead/Half Hollow Hills East) came off the bench to lead Oneonta with 14 points while Rodriguez scored 12 points and Mackin and sophomore Carson Jacobs (Buchanan/Hendrick Hudson) added 10 points each.
 
Oneonta will be on the road again next weekend to face Geneseo and Brockport.