Box Score Box Score

GENESEO, N.Y. – Despite a valiant comeback effort in the second half, the third-seeded State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team (16-11) saw its 2010-11 season come to an end against second-seeded SUNY Oneonta (21-6), losing by a 71-66 final in the semifinal round of the 2011 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Friday evening at Carl Schrader Gymnasium on the campus of SUNY Geneseo.

Friday night marked a rematch of last year's SUNYAC Championship Tournament semifinal meeting between the two programs. New Paltz edged Oneonta, 82-79, in a quadruple-overtime marathon when they met on SUNY Cortland's campus on Feb. 26, 2010.

The rebounding edge, which normally is in favor of the Hawks, wound up going the Red Dragons' way, as they outrebounded New Paltz by a 40-33 cushion. The Hawks were hurt by 29 percent shooting (9-of-31) in the first half, which included a paltry 1-of-10 mark from long range. On the game, however, New Paltz outshot Oneonta by a 40.0 percent-to-37.8 percent margin, as the Hawks were aided by 51.7 percent shooting (15-of-29) in the second half.

New Paltz came out hot, scoring the first six points of the contest. Oneonta, however, countered with a 7-0 spurt, and a Samantha Szkotak three-pointer with 15:56 remaining in the first half put the Red Dragons up by one at 7-6. The Hawks found their groove following that Oneonta tear, going on a 12-0 run behind points from five different New Paltz scorers. Up 18-7 with 10:50 left in the first stanza, the Hawks appeared poised to cruise through the remainder of the contest, but Oneonta scored 20 of the final 24 points of the half, entering the locker room with a 27-22 cushion.

The Hawks' scoring woes continued to start the second half, as Oneonta's Erika Puffer swelled the lead to 16—the largest of the night for either team—with 15:46 remaining in regulation. When sophomore guard Kahsyrah Bryant (North Babylon, N.Y.) scored with 15:34 left on the clock, it ended a 9:43 scoring drought for the Hawks.

New Paltz began chipping away at the lead, as junior guard Zoe Cohen (Brooklyn, N.Y.) knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 11. The Red Dragons countered with a made free-throw shot, but a 6-0 New Paltz run that was capped by a Cohen three-pointer drew the Hawks within six at 39-33.

Oneonta pushed the lead back out to double digits three times more, holding an 11-point advantage at 55-44 with 5:43 to go in the second half. The momentum began tilting New Paltz's way in the final minute, however, as junior forward Shanay Bradley (Bronx, N.Y.) drained a jumper with 32 seconds to go in regulation to cut the deficit to six, and junior point guard Kaitlin Clifford (Staten Island, N.Y.) buried a three-point trey to pull the Hawks within three at 67-64 with 18 ticks remaining. New Paltz fouled Szkotak on the ensuing possession, and she knocked down her pair of free-throw shots. However, the Red Dragons fouled sophomore guard Maliqua Fisher (North Babylon, N.Y.) on the next possession, and she cashed in on both of her attempts with nine seconds left.

Oneonta's Kristen Pappalardo pushed the lead back to five with a pair of made free throws, and a missed three-pointer by Cohen with three seconds to go ensured the Red Dragon victory.

Fisher led all New Paltz scorers with 11 points on the contest, all of which came in the final 20 minutes of play. Bradley had her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore forward Alex McCullough (Delmar, N.Y.) and Bryant each chipped in nine points. Junior guard Caitlin Irwin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Bradley were helpful on the defensive side of the ball, notching four steals and three blocks, respectively.

Oneonta put five players in double-digit scoring figures. Pappalardo led the way with 16 points, while Rebecca Bucci poured in 14. Szkotak (13), Madison Slagle (11) and Puffer rounded out the Red Dragons' double-digit scorers. Bucci and Slagle boasted three steals apiece, while Kelly Mulligan had a game-high six assists coming off the bench.

The Red Dragons will play the winner of Friday night's 8 p.m. matchup between No. 1 Geneseo and No. 4 Cortland tomorrow afternoon in the championship game at 4 p.m.

New Paltz once again had a successful season under the guidance of fifth-year head coach James Seward, as the Hawks have posted winning records in each of his five years at the controls. Seward will be eyeing the century mark in career victories next season, as he has 87 throughout his tenure as the bench boss at New Paltz.