Box Score NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Sophomore guard/forward
Kit Small (Slingerlands, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names) and senior guard
Ashley Riefenhauser (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) both scored 11 points on Tuesday night to lead the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team past SUNY Oneonta 59-54 at the Hawk Center.
With the victory, the Hawks improve to 12-6, 8-3 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and remain tied with SUNY Cortland for second place in the league standings. This is the first time the Hawks have swept the Red Dragons in the regular season under ninth-year head coach
Jamie Seward.
New Paltz will remain at home this weekend to host SUNY Potsdam and Plattsburgh from Feb. 6-7. The Red Dragons move to 11-7, 6-5 SUNYAC and are tied for fifth place in the conference. Oneonta will also prepare for Potsdam and Plattsburgh this weekend.
Small filled the stat sheet with a team-high five assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block in 29 minutes. Riefenhauser knocked down a trio of three-pointers and dished out four helpers. Along with Small and Riefenhauser, sophomore forward
Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) chipped in nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds (nine offensive).
For Oneonta, Lyteshia Price tallied a game-high 19 points with 10 boards for a double-double. Kingston, N.Y. native Sarah Longto scored 12 points for the Red Dragons.
New Paltz got off to a hot start on Tuesday, as Riefenhauser and senior guard
Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) both knocked down three's to open the scoring. The Hawks went up by seven (9-2) after another three by freshman guard
Sydney Pinn (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle). However, the Red Dragons went on a 7-0 spurt and knotted the contest at 9-9 with 11:57 to go.
Following a three by Walker, Oneonta went on another 7-0 run to put the Hawks in a four-point hole (16-12) with 7:22 left in the first half. But the Hawks remained focused and claimed a two-point lead after a three by freshman guard/forward
Laura Stuart (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) and a layup by junior guard/forward
Colleen Ames (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst). After a three by Oneonta with 4:10 to go, New Paltz enjoyed a 10-0 run to cap off the first period and claimed a 30-23 lead going into halftime.
The second half started much like the first as Riefenhauser netted a three to give the Hawks a 10-point cushion (33-23). The New Paltz lead increased to 11 points after Small knocked in a pair of free throws with 15:40 to play but the Red Dragons answered yet again with a 8-0 run to get within three (40-37) with under 13 minutes left.
After letting Oneonta back in the game, the Hawks slowly increased their lead to 10 after a Pinn three with 6:53 to play. Oneonta rallied, however, and inched within three (57-54) with a little over two minutes remaining. With 18 seconds left, the Red Dragons were forced to foul to get the ball back but Walker sunk both of her opportunities to ice the win.
