FREDONIA, N.Y. — The Fredonia State men's basketball team returns home this weekend after playing five of their last six contests on the road.
First, the Blue Devils meet the New Paltz Hawks at 8 p.m. Friday, followed by visit from Oneonta Red Dragons 4 p.m. Saturday. Each date is a SUNYAC doubleheader, with the women's game scheduled two hours before the men.
The Blue Devils bring 5-13 record into the Friday night game, including a 2-10 conference record, while the Hawks are 10-7 overall and 6-5 in the SUNYAC.
This is the second meeting for the Blue Devils against each team. FredoniaState traveled to Oneonta on Jan. 7 and lost, 58-46. The next day, the Blue Devils visited New Paltz where they and the Hawks up-and-down basketball before New Paltz came out on top, 101-95.
“We had difficulty containing them (the last time),” Blue Devil head coach Kevin Moore said. “Something like that can't happen again if we expect to beat them. Oneonta, on the other hand, was just the opposite. We played very good defense against them but we really struggled on the offensive end.”
The Blue Devils have played five of their last six games on the road, so Moore is happy to have his young team back. While winless on the road, the Blue Devils are 5-3 inside the Steele Hall Fieldhouse.
Adam Smith has been a recent bright spot for FredoniaState. In the last six games, Smith has averaged 19.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. He has raised his season averages to 10.5 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Joseph Monahan continues to lead the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game. He dropped a career-high 30 points on the Hawks in the previous meeting. Meanwhile, New Paltz's Shareef Taylor had 24 points while four others reach double figures. The Hawks shot 73.1 percent in the first half on Jan. 8 and led 52-40 at halftime.
Oneonta is 6-13 overall and 5-7 in the conference heading into its Friday game at BuffaloState. The Red Dragons are led by SUNYAC's top rebounder, Derek Hahn, who averages 10.1 boards per game. Troy Talbot leads the offense with 15.7 scoring average.
Former Blue Devil players will be back on campus this weekend for their annual alumni game, which will be played Saturday morning at Dods Hall. Also, men's basketball scorekeeper Jim Polvino will be recognized during halftime of the men's game vs. Oneonta. This is his 50th straight season as the men's official scorekeeper at home games. It is believed to be one of the longest streaks in all of college basketball.
Saturday festivities will also include a celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The agenda includes free t-shirts to the first 125 youth, a raffle which includes items donated by area professional teams, and a halftime mini-game involving the NorthernChautauquaCatholicSchool junior varsity team.
