Geneseo men’s basketball wins first home game 87-60
Photo courtesy of Geneseo Knights
After a dominant home opener, the SUNY Geneseo men’s basketball team powered past Alfred State 87–60, extending their undefeated series streak and showcasing standout performances.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the Geneseo men’s basketball team defeated the Alfred State Pioneers with a score of 87-60. This was the Knights’ first home game of the season and they were able to start it off with a huge win. They have yet to play any games in the Empire 8 conference, but are 3-4 overall for the season.
In the first quarter of play, the Pioneers’ offense came out of the gate running, scoring 13 points in the first five minutes of the game. The Knights knew they would have work to do if they wanted to keep the game close, which led to them scoring 14 points to even out the margin and take the lead once again. It was an all-around team effort with the help of four different players who added to the scoreboard.
As the first half continued, both teams kept it competitive, bringing the score to 22-22. But the Knights were sick of the close score and decided to turn up the heat by going on a 12-point run with some help from freshman guard Landon Brunken and freshman forward Jaiyden Jones, who were able to hit free throws, and junior forward Ethan Meisel, who knocked down a jumper. During this time, the Pioneers were only able to respond with five points, giving the Knights a seven-point lead to end the first half.
The Knights kept the energy high moving into the second half, increasing the deficit to 12. But the Pioneers attempted to make a comeback with a swift seven-point return, decreasing the Knights’ lead back down to five. The game stayed competitive for a short amount of time, but the Knights were able to hold onto the lead. Brunken had five more points that were unanswered by the Pioneers. Brunken’s points brought the Knights to a margin of 13 over the Pioneers and a score of 62-49 while slowly getting closer to the end of the game.
For the remaining duration of the game, the Knights kept up their momentum to end the game with a score of 87-60. Points off of turnovers made a huge difference for the Knights with 17. Steals were also crucial to their win as they tallied up throughout the game. Junior guard and forward Robert Pericolosi had 20 points, where he shot nine for sixteen and had eight rebounds as well. Junior guard and forward Josh Garelle was able to achieve a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds as well. Sophomore guard Trevor Hofer also added a chunk to the scoreboard as he had 10 points for the Knights.
The Knights have now faced Alfred State in five different seasons, never dropping a game to them. They will have their first conference game of the season coming up on Dec. 6 against Keuka College. It will be home at 4 p.m., so be sure that you go and support your Knights, as this will be the first game to help determine the spot much later on for the playoff season. The Knights’ performance is promising an accomplished season, so be on the lookout for more upcoming games!