CORTLAND, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo junior guard John Decker scored a game-high 25 points, including the game-winning field goal with six seconds left in regulation, to lead the Knights to a 77-76 victory at Cortland in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) men's basketball action, Tuesday.

Junior guard Justin Ringen added 17 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while sophomore point guard Charlie Zaepfel added nine points and five assists as Geneseo (8-3, 2-2 SUNYAC) earned its first road win against Cortland since a 63-60 victory on Jan. 7, 2012. It was also the Red Dragons' (9-2, 3-1 SUNYAC) first league loss of the season. 

The teams played a tight first half as neither team led by more than five points. The Knight built their largest lead, 33-28, on a Ringen lay-up with 1:54 on the clock, but the Red Dragons answered with a 7-0 spurt to take a two-point edge with nine seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Decker took a long outlet pass from sophomore guard Kevin Crockett on the left wing and hit a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded that staked the Knights to 36-35 halftime lead. 

Geneseo looked to pull away in a fast-paced second half using a 19-11 run, including seven points by Decker, to turn a 39-39 tie at 17:56 into an eight point advantage, 58-50, at 11:19. However, Cortland gradually chipped away at the Knights' lead, pulling within two, 66-64, with 3:56 on the clock. 

A Ringen lay-up followed by two free-throws by Crockett pushed the lead back to six at 3:13, but the Red Dragons responded with five points of their own to pull within one, 70-69, with 1:59 remaining. 

Ringen hit the back end of a trip to the foul line at 1:42, but Cortland took the lead on a three-pointer by JP Regan with 1:26 remaining that put the hosts on top for the first time in the second half. Zaepfel drew a foul on the Knights' next possession and drained both free throw attempts, before Regan drew Ringen's fifth foul of the game and connected on his second attempt to knot the score, 73-73, with 59 seconds left in regulation.

Re-entering the game for the disqualified Ringen, Decker was fouled with 39 seconds on the clock before sinking both free-throws to put the Knights up by two. However, following a Cortland timeout, Red Dragon senior guard Blair Estarfaa knocked down a three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining, setting up Decker's winning jumper from near the top of the key. Estarfaa still had time to drive the basket at the other end, but slipped in the lane and had the ball knocked out of bounds as time expired.

Cortland out-rebound Geneseo, 38-28, but only converted 15-of-23 chances at the free throw line, while the Knights shot an efficient 54.7 percent from the field and connected on 12-of-14 free throw attempts to earn the victory. 

Geneseo continues its SUNYAC road trip this Friday, heading to Fredonia for a 7:30 p.m. start, before traveling to Buffalo State on Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. tip-off.