Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – In a matchup between the last two State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) champions, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team fell at SUNY Plattsburgh 71-65 in the league opener for both teams on Friday night at Memorial Hall.
The Hawks fall to 3-4, 0-1 SUNYAC on the season and look to recover tomorrow at 2 p.m., playing at Potsdam. The Cardinals, the defending SUNYAC champions, move to 2-2, 1-0 SUNYAC and host Oneonta tomorrow at 2 p.m.
New Paltz had four players finish in double figures as sophomore guard/forward
Kit Small (Slingerlands, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names) finished with a team-high 14 points behind a 10-of-11 free throw performance. Small also pulled down seven rebounds and tied for the game-high with five steals.
Joining Small in double figures was senior guard
Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) who notched 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc. Junior guard
Goldie Harrison (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) contributed 10 points, six boards, four steals and two assists.
Junior guard/forward
Colleen Ames (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) chipped in 10 points off the bench. Freshman forward
Norvonee Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y./Murray Bergtraum) registered a team-best 15 boards (six offensive) while junior forward
Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) pulled down eight rebounds as the Hawks dominated the offensive glass, 23-11.
For Plattsburgh, Allie Taylor scored a game-high 21 points and Deana Paul recorded a double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Brittany Marshall registered 18 points, including her 1,000
th career point in the first half.
New Paltz trailed by eight points (62-54) with just four minutes to play before rallying with an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 66-65 with 1:35 remaining in the contest. But unfortunately, five made free throws by the Cardinals in the last 40 seconds put the game out of reach for the Hawks.
In the first half, Plattsburgh jumped out to a 6-0 lead before New Paltz knotted the contest at 11 with a three by freshman guard
Sydney Pinn (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) at 14:46. After the Cardinals went on another spurt, the Hawks claimed their first lead of the night, 20-18, when Small knocked down a pair of foul shots with 6:50 to play in the opening period.
Again Plattsburgh responded but New Paltz answered right back as Harrison hit a jumper and a free throw to regain the lead for the Hawks, 26-25 with 4:17 remaining. The first half went back-and-forth for the rest of the way and the contest was knotted 35-35 at intermission.
