GENESEO, NY— In a reversal of their first four games of the season, the Houghton Highlanders jumped out to a, 41-36, halftime lead, only to see the SUNY Geneseo Knights come back in the second half to claim an 84-73 victory.
 
Over the first 20 minutes Houghton shot a scorching 61 percent from beyond the arc, knocking down 11 threes.
 
Inevitably, though, turnovers would doom the Highlanders, as they gave the ball away 22 times.  The Knights, on the other hand, would turn the ball over only six times in the game.
 
Houghton led by as many as eight points early in the second half, but the Knights regained the lead with 14:34 left to play and never trailed again.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 73 | Geneseo – 84 
Records: Houghton: 1-4 | Geneseo: 2-2
Venue: Schrader Gymnasium, SUNY Geneseo | Attendance: 332

NOTABLE STATS
>> Houghton's shooting cooled to an icy 32 percent in the second half, and they knocked down only 3-of-12 long range shots.  Meanwhile, Geneseo, who shot only 33 percent in the first half, converted 17-of-30 (57 percent) from the field and 5-of-9 (56 percent) from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.
 
>> Preston Thomas went 7-for-14, including 7-of-10 from three-point range and 6-of-8 from the line, establishing a new career high with 27 points.  He also corralled eight rebounds.
 
>> David Rosa collected 12 points and nine rebounds, while Luke Cole picked up his first double-double of the season, posting 11 points and 11 boards.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"While it's another loss, we took some big steps forward against a disciplined team. We struggled to put together both ends, or both halves, but today I saw a lot more consistency in getting what we want offensively and following our plan defensively. This was probably the best overall game we've played and a good way to go into break."
 
On Preston Thomas: "We did a great job of finding Preston and he did a great job of sprinting the floor as well as cutting in the halfcourt. He's a lethal shooter when he gets going." - Head Coach Jeremy Bialek

UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center on Tuesday, November 28 when they will host the SUNY Canton Roos at 7:30 p.m.  The two teams have not met since December 2016, a contest that the Highlanders won, 86-79.