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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo forward Justin Ringen made 7-of-8 3-point field goals, including the game-winner with 2.4 seconds to go, as the second-seeded Knights defeated seventh-seeded Nazareth, 83-81, in the first round of the 50^th Annual Wendy's College Classic Wednesday night.

With the loss, Nazareth falls to 3-3 while Geneseo improves to 5-0.

Trailing 80-79, Denzell Jackson put the Golden Flyers ahead 81-80 with just :08 seconds remaining.  Following a Geneseo timeout, Ringen took the inbounds pass a fired a fade-away 3-pointer, which would prove to be the game-winner.

Tyler Stenglein managed to get off a 3-pointer from midcourt, which went off the backboard, and in-and-out of the rim as time expired.

Geneseo built a 20-12 lead in the first half, but Nazareth was able to find its rhythm offensively.  Nazareth went on a 16-8 run over a four minute span, capped by a Brendan Wind layup to take a 26-24 advantage.
   
After back-and-forth action, the Knights opened a seven point cushion, before a Wind 3-pointer cut the lead to 47-43 at the break. 

Each squad went 18-for-34 (52.9 percent) in the first half, with Geneseo connecting on 8-of-13 from 3-point range.

Trailing 52-45, Mitch Ford converted back-to-back buckets draw within three.  That set up Josh Gillard, who drilled two-straight 3-pointers to push Nazareth ahead, 55-52. 

Nazareth continued to rely on the 3-pointer as  Ford made good from straight on to push the Golden Flyers advantage to 70-66.   On the ensuing possession, Ford converted a traditional 3-point play, making it 73-68.

Wind later knocked down a 3-pointer from distance to make it 76-71.

Geneseo, however, clawed back to tie the game at 78 and eventually took at 80-79 lead.

Ford registered a team-high 29 points on 10-for-19 from the field and collected 11 boards. 

Gillard finished with four 3-pointers for 12 points. Also scoring in double figures was Jackson, who was an efficient 5-for-6 on his way to 13 points.

Wind dished out a career-high seven assists on top of 12 points (5-for-11).

Nazareth will take on third-seeded Hobart College on Friday in the next round of the Wendy's College Classic.  The game will be held at Roberts Wesleyan College with tipoff set for 8 p.m.