CORTLAND, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo senior forward Matt Curry scored 14 points but it was Cortland holding the Knights to their lowest scoring output of the season in a 65-53 road loss, Tuesday, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) men's basketball.

Junior forward Gordon Lyons grabbed 13 rebounds but was held to nine points, marking the first time this season he was held to double-digit points. 

Geneseo got off to a slow start as Cortland built a 20-9 lead at the 9:30 mark of a first half that saw the Red Dragons connect on eight three-pointers. Trailing, 25-16, with 6:35 on the clock, the Knights would get a spark off the bench from senior forward Jordan Jones and junior forward Devon Anderson, who combined for 10 points during a 17-6 outburst that gave the visitors a 31-30 lead with 2:08 remaining in the half. Cortland would hit a pair of three-pointers, sandwhiched around a three-pointer by junior forward James McKenna to retake a 36-34 lead at intermission. 

A Geneseo scoring drought midway through the second half proved to be the difference in the game. A jumper by senior guard Connor Fedge gave the Knights a 46-44 lead with 11:37 on the clock, but two Curry free throws at 7:25 were the only points the visitors could muster during a 16-2 Red Dragon run that saw the Knights miss six shots and commit five turnovers. A Lyons basket with 1:36 left on the clock ended the cold spell, but Cortland's Kevin McMahon, who finished with a game-high 23 points, sank five of six free throws down the stretch to put the game away.

Geneseo out-rebounded Cortland by a 39-29 margin, but the Red Dragons turned 15 turnovers by the Knights into 22 points, while holding the visitors to their second-lowest shooting performance (23-of-58, 39.7%) of the season. Cortland also held host Geneseo to a season-low 18 field goals in their first meeting of the season (Jan. 17), which saw the Knights hold on for a 55-52 victory. 

With two regular season games remaining, the Knights can finish no lower than third in the final SUNYAC standings, but no higher than second. To move into second, Geneseo would need to win both of its remaining games while Plattsburgh (19-4, 13-3 SUNYAC) would need to lose its last two games. The Knights close out the campaign by hosting Oneonta on Friday (8:00 p.m.) before taking on visiting New Paltz (4:00 p.m.) on Saturday. Plattsburgh hosts Fredonia on Friday (8:00 p.m.) and Buffalo State on Saturday (4:00 p.m.). 

The second-seed would earn the Knights a first-round bye, while the third seed would put Geneseo at home for a first-round game next Tuesday (Feb. 25) against an opponent to be determined.