A Quick Look
The SUNY Oneonta men's basketball team placed four players in double figures tonight holding back a surging Geneseo squad 75-64.  The win for the Red Dragons is its fourth straight and raises its overall record to 10-6 and 6-3 in the SUNYAC.  The loss for the Knights drops them to 8-6 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
 
"That's a good team we just beat, and our guys worked extremely hard to ensure the victory," said Head Coach Cameron Conover.  "Our guys played well defensively, and I think some of the offensive mistakes we made in the second half were due to being exhausted from how hard we were playing on defense.  I will try to do a better job with getting guys rest, which will allow them to perform even better.  We are happy with the win, but as always in this league, we must now focus our attention on tomorrow's opponent."
 
The Inside Story
Oneonta held the lead for nearly 38 minutes in the contest.  The only lead that the visitors had was at 2-0 before a three-pointer by junior Michael Ortale Jr. (Bethlehem, NY/Bethlehem Central) gave Oneonta a lead that they wouldn't relinguish.
 
By the midway point of the opening half, the Red Dragons pushed its lead to 13 points when junior Dylan Trombley (Moriah, NY/Moriah) buried a trey.  Geneseo made a push and cut its deficit to six points on a three-pointer by Raymond Grabowski at the 3:49 mark.  Oneonta stabilized itself grabbing a 42-32 lead going into halftime.
 
The biggest advantage for Oneonta in the first half was converting eight Geneseo turnovers into 18 points.  The Red Dragons shot 56 percent from the floor in the opening half.
 
Oneonta exploded out of the break putting together a 17-5 run in the first six minutes of the second half to push its lead to 22 points.  Senior Daniel Derice (Tampa, FL/Wesley Chapel) fueled the run with 11 points.
 
Geneseo wouldn't go quietly, as they countered with an 18-5 run, as they got themselves back into the game trailing by only single digits with 8:46 left.  The Knights would get as close as six points with 2:48 remaining, but Oneonta made the crucial baskets down the stretch to secure the win.
 
Just the Stats
Derice finished the game with 21 points to lead all scorers.  Joining Derice in double figures was Ortale Jr. with 19 points, sophomore Frankie Williams (Bronx, NY/Fannie Lou) with 14 points and Trombley with 10 points.
 
Oneonta outrebounded Geneseo 34-21 while converting 15 turnovers into 32 points on the other end.
 
What's Next
Oneonta will host Brockport tomorrow afternoon at 4pm.