Box Score Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team (14-9, 12-4 SUNYAC) overcame poor shooting from the field and the free-throw line to defeat SUNY Geneseo (19-3, 14-1 SUNYAC), 53-47, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday afternoon in the Hawk Center, dealing the Blue Knights their first conference loss of 2010-11.

New Paltz also snapped Geneseo's 15-game win streak, which dated back to Dec. 7, 2010. In addition, the Hawks will close out the 2010-11 season undefeated at home in SUNYAC play.

Following Saturday's results around the league, the Hawks sit a half game back of SUNY Cortland in the SUNYAC standings, occupying the No. 3 spot. SUNY Oneonta, though, is just a game behind New Paltz. With the victory, New Paltz has assured itself of hosting duties for a quarterfinal round game of the 2011 SUNYAC Women's Basketball Tournament.

The blue and orange struggled shooting the ball all afternoon, hitting just 26.5 percent (18-of-68) of its shots from the field and only 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from the line. The Blue Knights were unable to get anything going offensively either, as they shot only 29.2 percent (14-of-48) from the floor. The Hawks were able to shoot the three effectively, as they shot 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from behind the arc.

Both teams went back and forth in the first stanza of the contest. New Paltz held the largest edge of the half at six, and there were five lead changes in total in the first 20 minutes of play. After the Hawks opened up a 25-19 advantage late in the first half, Geneseo ended the period on made two free throws by Bri Dunton to trail by four heading into the break at 25-21.

New Paltz surged to start the second half and quickly extended its lead to 14 at 37-23 following a three from junior guard Kaitlin Clifford (Staten Island, N.Y.) with 15:08 remaining in the game. The Hawks would stretch their lead to as many as 18, but a 15-2 run by the persistent Knights cut the deficit to five at 50-45 with 2:22 left on the clock. Three free throws by the Hawks in the final minute iced the game and put an end to the Geneseo comeback.

Junior guard Caitlin Irwin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) came up just one point shy of a double-double as she poured in nine points and snatched 11 rebounds for New Paltz. She also pitched in with two steals and two assists. Junior forward Shanay Bradley (Bronx, N.Y.) dominated the glass, grabbing 15 rebounds to go along with her eight points and two blocks. Clifford and sophomore guard Maliqua Fisher (North Babylon, N.Y.) chipped in with nine points each.

The Knights were led by Alyssa Polosky, who cashed in on 3-of-8 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 shooting from the line for 13 points and grabbed six boards. Melissa Graham was just short of a double-double, as she poured in nine points and grabbed eight rebounds.

New Paltz looks to stretch its winning streak to three, as the Hawks travel to Max Ziel Gymnasium in Oswego, N.Y., next to take on SUNY Oswego at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15.