NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The No. 1 seed State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team is set to host the 2016 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women's Basketball Tournament this weekend. New Paltz went 2-0 against SUNY Geneseo this season, beating them out for the No. 1 seed despite the fact that both teams went 14-4 in conference play. The Hawks last hosted the tournament in 2013 when they claimed their first SUNYAC title in program history. New Paltz will face No. 5 SUNY Oneonta in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: The Hawks are 19-6 (14-4 SUNYAC)… No. 2 seed Geneseo is also 19-6 (14-4 SUNYAC)… No. 3 seed SUNY Fredonia is 19-7 (13-5 SUNYAC)… No. 5 seed SUNY Oneonta is 17-9 (12-6 SUNYAC).
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (19-6): New Paltz had won 10 straight games before falling to Fredonia, 70-65, in their regular-season finale on Feb. 20… The Hawks are second in the conference with 68.4 points per game… The Hawk defense is third in the conference, surrendering 57.1 points per game… New Paltz is ranked second in the conference in offensive rebounds with 16.8 rebounds per game… Junior guard/forward and co-captain
Kit Small leads the team and is sixth in the conference with 14.5 points per game… Junior forward and co-captain
Courtney Irby is second on the team with 10.2 points per game and second in the SUNYAC with 9.2 rebounds per game… Irby is also tied for sixth in the conference with 2.0 steals per game… New Paltz went 1-1 against Oneonta, losing 63-53 at home but beating the Red Dragons 70-59 in Oneonta… New Paltz went 2-0 against Geneseo this season but 0-2 against Fredonia… In last year's tournament, the Hawks defeated Buffalo State, 79-58, in the quarterfinal round before losing 57-48 to SUNY Cortland in the semifinals.
SCOUTING GENESEO (19-6): The Knights earned the quarterfinal-round bye and have won 12 of their last 14 games… They are on a four-game winning streak… Geneseo will face Fredonia in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m… Geneseo's defense is ranked first in the SUNYAC surrendering just 48.1 points per game… The Knights' defense also leads the conference in defensive rebounds with 30.7 rebounds per game… Senior forward Allison McKenna is first on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game… Ranked second on the team with 10.8 points per game is senior guard Dana Cohan… McKenna also leads the team in rebounds and is ranked 10th in the conference with 8.1 rebounds per game… McKenna also leads the conference with 2.4 blocks per game… The Knights swept their season series against Fredonia and Oneonta, but were swept by New Paltz… Last season, the Knights hosted the SUNYAC Tournament and won their fifth conference title in program history… Geneseo made it to the third round of the NCAA Division III Tournament before losing to Farleigh Dickinson University-College at Florham, 68-54.
LAST MEETING: The Hawks defeated the Knights, 55-41, on Friday, Feb. 12, at New Paltz the last time these two teams faced off.
SCOUTING FREDONIA (19-7): The Blue Devils defeated No. 6 seed The College at Brockport, 89-81, in overtime to advance to the semifinals… In the game, senior forward Sabrina Macaulay scored a career-high 33 points and notched her 1,000 point in her collegiate career… After the Golden Eagles took the lead with two free throws in the overtime period, a layup by Macaulay tied the game before a free throw by her gave the Blue Devils an 80-79 lead which they would hold onto for the victory… Fredonia leads the conference in scoring with 71.4 points per game… Macaulay is first on the Blue Devils and third in the conference in scoring with 16.4 points per game… Junior guard Alexis Cheatham is second on the team and eighth in the SUNYAC with 12.7 points per game… Freshman forward Jenna Einink is third on Fredonia with 12.0 points per game… Macaulay leads the Blue Devils in rebounds and is tied for sixth in the conference with 8.6 rebounds per game… Fredonia was swept by Geneseo this season, but swept New Paltz… The Blue Devils went 1-1 against Oneonta, losing 56-41 at home but winning 68-63 in Oneonta… Fredonia last competed in the SUNYAC Tournament in 2014, when they lost the quarterfinals to Geneseo, 55-52.
LAST MEETING: The Hawks fell to the Blue Devils, 70-65, at Fredonia in the regular-season finale on Saturday, Feb. 20, the last time these two teams met.
SCOUTING ONEONTA (17-9): The No. 5 Red Dragons advanced to the semifinals after upending SUNY Cortland, 68-58, on the road… Oneonta overcame a 14-point deficit at halftime, outscoring Cortland 47-23 in the second half… Senior guard Lyteshia Price scored 18 points, while senior forward Caitlin Cariseo tallied 14 points in the second half to lead the offense… Oneonta's defense is ranked second in the conference, surrendering just 53.5 points per game… The Red Dragons are ranked third in the conference in offensive rebounds with 14.3 rebounds per game… Price leads Oneonta and is ranked second in the SUNYAC in scoring with 16.8 points per game… Junior guard Cara Adams is second on the team with 10.3 points per game… Price leads the team in rebounds and is ranked fifth in the SUNYAC with 8.8 rebounds per game… Price is also ranked fifth in the conference in blocks with 1.7 blocks per game and is tied for third in the SUNYAC in steals with 2.4 steals per game… Oneonta went 1-1 against New Paltz this season, winning 63-53 at New Paltz but losing at home, 70-59, to the Hawks… The Red Dragons were swept by Geneseo and went 1-1 against Fredonia, winning 77-52 at home but losing, 69-64, on the road… In last year's tournament, the Red Dragons beat SUNY Plattsburgh, 58-57, in the quarterfinals before falling, 62-49, to eventual SUNYAC champion Geneseo in the semifinals.
LAST MEETING: The Hawks notched a 70-59 road victory over the Red Dragons on Tuesday, Feb. 2, when these two teams last played each other.
WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of Saturday's SUNYAC championship game will earn the automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament, which runs from March 4-19.
