HOUGHTON, NY— The SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils earned their way back to .500, defeating the host Houghton Highlanders, 79-69, to earn their fourth win of the season.
 
The game seesawed throughout the first half, as the teams traded leads multiple times.  With only a minute to play before the break, Fredonia's Aiden Proudfoot sank a pair of layups to put the Blue Devils up by one. Fredonia then exploited the Highlanders for a pair of buckets in the waning seconds to pull ahead, 36-31.
 
In the second half the Blue Devils led by as many as 12 with only seven minute to play, but the Highlanders refused to quit, eventually whittling the margin to only four points, 71-67, following a pair of free throws from Aaron Johnson with less than three minutes left in the game.
 
But Fredonia owned the final minutes, sinking a pair of layups and all four shots they took from the free throw line, while Houghton only one basket the remainder of the way.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 69 | SUNY Fredonia – 79
Records: Houghton: 1-8 | SUNY Fredonia: 4-4
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton University | Attendance: 135

NOTABLE STATS
>> Jajuan Preaster came within one rebound of back-to-back double-doubles, scoring 17 points and pulling down nine boards.  He also added four assists.  Preaster has now scored at least 15 points in all six games in which he has played this season.
 
>> Johnson recorded a season-high 17 points, while Preston Thomas reeled in his first double-double, posting 13 points and 10 rebounds. 
 
COACH'S CORNER
"Discipline and consistency were the operative words we came in with, but we did not have them throughout the game tonight, especially on the defensive end.
 
"I saw some great growth in rebounding and we possessed the ball better in the second half. We just need to do it all more often - possession by possession.
 
"Aaron Johnson had a great bounce-back from an injury that kept him out at Keuka. His athleticism at both ends stood out tonight and kept us in this one." – Head Coach Jeremy Bialek
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center this Saturday, December 9, when they will host Empire 8 Conference rival Alfred University at 4:00 p.m.