NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – A nearly month hiatus from intercollegiate competition will have the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team well rested as it resumes play at the Hawk Center on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. against SUNY Cortland in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action. The Hawks have been idle for the past 29 days after losing to Hamilton College, 62-46, on Dec. 10.
LIVE COVERAGE: The New Paltz Athletics Communications Office will provide live in-game statistics and video at the above links.
RECORDS: The Hawks enter Tuesday night's game with a 2-7, 0-2 SUNYAC record… Cortland has a 6-3, 2-0 record, losing to William Smith, 81-63 on Jan. 3 in a rescheduled game.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (2-7, 0-2 SUNYAC): The Hawks look to jump start the New Year and get back on the winning streak following the Hamilton loss… Against the Continentals, a dry scoring spell to start the second half proved costly for a Hawk team that trailed 34-24 at halftime, but went the first 5:45 of the second half without scoring… Hamilton used an 11-0 run to build a 45-24 lead that kept the Hawks in comeback mode for the third straight game... Sophomore guard
Goldie Harrison and junior guard
Shannan Walker led New Paltz with 11 points… Junior guard
Ashley Riefenhauser had a pair of three-pointers in the second half and finished with nine points and six rebounds... Senior forward
Jeanette Scott had a team-best seven rebounds.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Harrison leads the Hawks in scoring (10.8 ppg)… Sophomore guard
Christine Rivera follows (8.7 ppg) and freshman guard
Kit Small rounds out the top three (8.4 ppg)… Freshman forward
Courtney Irby averages 8.2 rebounds per game, tops on the team and sixth best in the SUNYAC… Harrison's 2.7 steals per game average ranks second in the SUNYAC… Scott's 1.3 blocks per game ranks fifth best in the conference… Walker averages 31.4 minutes a game, 11th best in the conference, and her 1.3 three-pointers made per game is 13th best… Riefenhauser averages 1.6 three-pointers made, 12th best.
TEAM STATISTICS: The Hawks rank second in the SUNYAC in offensive rebounding (13.9 rpg)… Opponents shoot just 66 percent from the free throw line, third best mark in the conference… The Hawks rank fifth in steals per game (10.1 spg).
SCOUTING THE RED DRAGONS (6-3, 2-0 SUNYAC): Cortland has gotten off to a strong start with a balanced offense (70.4 ppg) and a strong defense (58.8 ppg) and are holding opponents to just 30 percent field goal shooting… Impressively, Cortland leads the SUNYAC in scoring margin (+11.7), rebound margin (+7.4) and field goal defense (32 percent).
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Three players score in double figures, led by Grace Williamson (14.1 ppg), Megan Touhey (13.1 ppg) and Caysea Cohen (11.4 ppg)… Williamson is seventh in the SUNYAC in scoring and second in field goal percentage (57 percent)… She leads the Red Dragons in rebounding (7.8 rpg), seventh best in the SUNYAC… Cohen's 2.5 assists per game is 14th best in the conference… Both Shannon White and Touhey average 1.8 steals per game, among the top 15 in the conference.
TEAM STATISTICS: The Red Dragons lead the SUNYAC in scoring (70.4 ppg) and scoring margin (+11.7 ppg)… Holding opponents to just 32 percent field goal shooting percentage tops the conference and the Cortland defense allows just 58.8 points a game, second best in the SUNYAC… Off the backboards, Cortland leads the SUNYAC in rebound margin (+7.4)
LAST MEETING: Played at Cortland on Feb. 12, 2013… Then senior guard
Maliqua Fisher picked up her second-straight double-double, and then-senior forward
Alex McCullough, the reigning SUNYAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week, led all scorers with 21 points to lead the Hawks to a 57-53 victory and a sweep of the season series against Cortland… The Hawks won both games by a combined seven points, having defeated the Red Dragons 59-56 on Jan. 8 at the Hawk Center.
GAME RECAPS: Jan. 8, 2013Feb. 12, 2013WHAT'S NEXT: The Hawks remain at home for a heavy January slate, hosting SUNY Oneonta on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m… Cortland hosts Buffalo State on Friday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. and Fredonia on Saturday at 2 p.m.
COACHES: New Paltz is led by eighth-year head coach
Jamie Seward... Cortland is led by Jeannette Mosher, who is in her 16th season.
