FREDONIA, N.Y. - A three-pointer from Fredonia's Brian Kopp tied the game with 32 seconds remaining, but a clutch free throw from sophomore Cam LaClair (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem) gave the Oneonta men's basketball team a 69-68 win on Saturday afternoon. The Red Dragons move to 8-6 and 6-1 in the SUNYAC, while the Ble Devils fall to 1-13 and 1-6 in the conference.
"It wasn't pretty, but we found a way," said head coach Cameron Conover. "Our guys fought hard, and we made enough plays to pull out the victory."
LaClair led the team with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a block. Junior Nicholas Cortez (Harlem, NY/Forest Hills) added 16 points, four boards, and three assists. Senior Delano Knox (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) tacked on nine points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Fredonia pulled within two following a pair of Stevie Williams free throws, but sophomore Pat Evans (Staten Island, NY/Xaverian) knocked down a triple to make it 25-20. Back-to-back layups from LaClair pushed the lead to nine, and Cortez knocked down a three-pointer at 4:00 to give Oneonta a double-digit advantage.
Fredonia fought back with a 9-0 run to cut the score to 34-33. LaClair converted the final two Oneonta baskets to take a 37-34 lead at the half.
A jumper from freshman Carlos Almanzar (Brooklyn, NY/John Jay Campus) and a triple by junior Hobson Herlihy (Lawrence, KS/Lawrence) pushed the Red Dragons up 42-34 to start the second half. Oneonta held a narrow lead until Fredonia took its first lead of the half following a pair of Mark MacDonald free throws at 11:52. The Red Dragons used an 8-0 run to go ahead 68-59 with 4:49 left.
Fredonia responded with a 9-0 run until 32 seconds remaining to tie 68-68 after Kopp's three-pointer. LaClair drove and fouled the ensuing Oneonta possession. He split the free throws, but it was enough to grab the win.
Garza led all scorers with 24 points and had six rebounds and three assists. Williams scored 12 points, and Kopp had seven.
Oneonta next travels to face Oswego on Tuesday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m.
