Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Junior guard/forward Colleen Ames (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) scored a game-high 16 points off the bench to lead the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team past SUNY Fredonia 68-46 in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon in the Hawk Center.
 
New Paltz has now won 10 straight home contests and improves to 17-8, 13-5 in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). The Hawks earned the No. 3 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament and will now host No. 6 seed Buffalo State on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The Hawks and Bengals split in the regular season, with New Paltz winning yesterday's match-up, 73-63. The Blue Devils wrap up their season with a 9-15, 6-12 SUNYAC mark.
 
Prior to the game, the Hawks honored their three seniors, guard Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal), guard Ashley Riefenhauser (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) and guard Christine Rivera (Long Beach, N.Y./Valley Stream) for their contributions to the program.
 
For the contest, Ames nailed four three-pointers and chipped in five rebounds and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench. Sophomore guard/forward Kit Small (Slingerlands, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names) scored 13 points and has now scored in double digits in 14 straight games. Sophomore forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) recorded her second-straight double double and fourth of the season with 10 points and a game-high 12 boards.
 
The Hawks dominated the glass on Saturday, holding a 53-41 edge in rebounds, and forced 32 turnovers on the day. For Fredonia, freshman guard/forward Jacque Law tallied a team-high 10 points.
 
New Paltz jumped out to a nice start in the first half with a 9-0 lead and eventually built a 14-2 advantage with 14 minutes to play after a three by Ames. Fredonia whittled the lead down to nine points (18-9) with 11:23 to play but the Hawks went on a 12-4 run over the next six minutes to build a 30-13 advantage.
 
The Blue Devils cut that lead down to 11 points (30-19) with 1:27 to go but a layup by Irby with 45 ticks left gave the Hawks a comfortable 32-19 cushion heading into the break.
 
In the second half, New Paltz built a 14-point lead (37-23) with 16:40 to play but the Blue Devils remained in the game with a quick 6-0 spurt that cut the lead down to eight (40-32) with 14:21 on the clock. Fortunately for the Hawks that was the closest that Fredonia would reach as New Paltz enjoyed a 15-5 run to go ahead 55-37 with 6:20 remaining.
 
Freshman forward Stephanie Volpe (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) made a pair of field goals in the last four minutes of the game as the Hawks relished the 22-point win to wrap up the regular season and gear up for their first postseason appearance in two years, when New Paltz won the 2012-13 SUNYAC Championship – the first in program history.