NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- The Fredonia men's basketball team defeated the New Paltz Hawks, 65-61, Friday night.

Junior Ian Helps (Bronx, N.Y./Greater New York Academy) finished with a game-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting and was 7-for-11 at the free-throw line. Fellow junior Dante Williams (Buffalo, N.Y./ Hutch Tech)  recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds and added four assists.

Fredonia owned an 11-9 lead in the first half with 13:04 on the clock until Nick Paquette drained a three-pointer for the Hawks to spark a 13-2 run to give New Paltz a 22-13 lead.

Fredonia responded with a 12-2 run of its own after freshman Christian Marinez (Jamaica, N.Y./Hillcrest) nailed a jumper with 3:52 remaining. Marinez capped off the run with a slam with 34 ticks remaining to give the Devils the lead, 25-24.

New Paltz guard James Saunders converted a layup 14 seconds later to give the Hawks a 26-25 lead into the break.

Williams and Helps combined for 16 points in the half with eight points apiece on 8-of-13 combined shooting.

The teams were neck and neck in the opening minutes of the second half, before New Paltz rattled off a 19-9 run making it  a 48-39 game with 12:05 left in the contest.

Fredonia fought back as Richard De La Cruz (Washington Heights, N.Y./Norman Thomas) cashed in a long ball and Williams got two layups to fall. Helps added two free throws to tie the score at 48. A Saunders layup with 6:39 to go put New Paltz back up by two, 50-48.

Marinez buried a three to put the Devils ahead 51-50 with 5:51 left, and they would not trail the rest of the game. Fredonia led by as much as five in the last 45 seconds. Another Saunders layup and two Cory Garcia free throws kept New Paltz within one, 62-61, Devils.

Three Helps free throws in the last 19 seconds would seal the victory for Fredonia.

De La Cruz, a senior, netted 12 points and was 4-of-7 beyond the arc. Marinez and senior Kareem Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn H.S. For Law & Tech) scored seven points each.

New Paltz (1-18, 0-13) was led by Dylan Balducci with 15 points and Saunders with 14.

The Blue Devils shot 46 percent (25-of-54) from the floor and out-rebounded the Hawks 43-26, including 13 offensive rebounds to New Paltz's four.

The win improves Fredonia's overall record to 9-12 and 6-8 in the conference. The Blue Devils are back in action tomorrow in Oneonta. Tip is set for 2 p.m.