Box Score New Paltz, NY – Last season still lingered in the memory of the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team, which could not find a way to defeat SUNY Geneseo during its 2017-18 campaign, losing three times, including in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) semifinals where the Knights went on to collect the conference championship.

Some redemption was due for the Hawks Saturday, which was the first of two regular season matchups between the teams. SUNY New Paltz (9-4 overall, 5-1 SUNYAC), led by a dominant fourth quarter and solid defensive effort, got the best of SUNY Geneseo (12-1, 6-1), 71-61 and handed the Knights their first loss of the year.

"It feels good to win this game. We lost to them three times and they ended our season last year, so it feels good to get a little revenge on them and get this win," said Hawks senior guard Lindsay Bettke. "New Paltz and Geneseo, we've had a rivalry with them for as long as I can remember. Coach always reminds us about it and it's just huge. People say Oneonta is our rival, but Geneseo is our true rival, so getting this win it just feels good."

As predicted, the game went back and forth for most of the 40 minutes. There were five lead changes throughout the game with the score tied once, which came early in the first quarter. The Knights held the advantage for most of the second, as they went on a 9-1 run after regaining the lead with about eight minutes left in the half to create a 10-point cushion, which they maintained at the break after going up, 31-21.

Bettke helped her team cut down the deficit before halftime, knocking down back-to-back jumpers, which was followed with made baskets by Rachel Simon and Philesha Teape. Bettke then assisted Paige Niemeyer on a 3 in the waning seconds to trim the difference to one, but Natalie Alfieri had the final basket of the half to boost SUNY Geneseo ahead, 35-32.

Although the Hawks came out aggressive defensively in the first half and forced 10 Knights turnovers, they struggled limiting their shooting, as Geneseo knocked down more than 50 percent from the floor and nearly 67 percent (6-for-9) from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

"They're such a good shooting team and they're such a good scoring team. They shoot 50 percent from the field most games and 40 percent from 3, so if you sit back let them run their offense back and forth they're going to make shots," said SUNY New Paltz coach Jamie Seward. "They're so disciplined at doing that, they're going to get their shots and make them, so we just figured to speed them up a little bit, maybe force some turnovers. They did a good job attacking too. They got a lot of easy baskets in the first half. We had to make a couple adjustments and just doubled down on the game plan to adjust. Then late we made a couple more adjustments to finish off the game, but overall we got enough stops and hung in there when things weren't going our way when we weren't scoring."

The adjustments made by the Hawks at half was key in the final 20 minutes, as they kept the Knights to just 26 second-half points, including eight in the fourth, while shooting just 34 percent.
SUNY New Paltz went into the fourth quarter trailing by five, but quickly re-took the advantage after Niemeyer and Dietz knocked down back-to-back 3's in the first minute of the period. Alfieri responded with a bucket in the paint to end the run, but Simon officially pushed the Hawks over the hump on the ensuing possession and from that point, with about eight minutes to go, they never relinquished the lead.
 
"Us and them have gone back and forth quite a bit. Until last year we've gotten the upper hand, so it is nice to turn it back," Seward said. "At the end of the day. We won at home and that is what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to win at home. You need to hold serve there and then steal some on the road. We're obviously happy with a win no matter who it is against. Conference play is tough, but you have to get the ones at home."

McKenna Brooks got the Knights within one with about four minutes left, but clutch shooting by Niemeyer and Simon coupled by a pair of stops by the Hawks, kept SUNY New Paltz in front. With two minutes ticking down and SUNY Geneseo in need of points, the Hawks quickly moved the ball down the floor, giving the Knights trouble of getting a hand on them to intentionally foul. Dietz found Madison Van Pelt, who then spotted Bettke in the corner for 3, which pushed the cushion to nine and ultimately ice the win. 

"Coach probably would tell me that wasn't the best shot to take, but as soon as I got the ball and released it I was like, that's in. That's going in. That's the game right there, so it felt good," Bettke said. "As coach was saying, we planted that seed in their heads and gave them a little doubt, so next time they come and play us they're going to be a little on edge, a little on their toes because they don't know what is going to come their way."

Bettke led the way with 21 points on 8-for-19 shooting, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, followed by Niemeyer with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Niemeyer led some exceptional play from the Hawks' frontcourt, which saw pivotal minutes from Teape and Van Pelt, who combined for 13 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes of action apiece.
"Phil played some real important, big minutes in the first half where when we had a tough time with the lead she kept us in it with a couple baskets. Along with Lindsay, who took a couple of bad shots, but they were shots that was just like, 'get on my back and I'll carry us for a couple minutes until you guys are ready to go again.' Bad shots for anybody else, but shots that she's been making three years now," Seward said. "Philesha did a nice job, Maddie [Van Pelt] did a nice job getting some rebounds in the second half after some foul trouble in the first half. Paige made some shots from the perimeter and made a couple plays offensively when we ran our offense through her in the high post. When she plays the way she's capable of playing we are a different team and much more difficult to beat."

The win, which extended the Hawks' winning streak to five, pushed them tied for first in the SUNYAC standings. They'll have another big matchup early next week, as they host SUNY Cortland in the Hawk Center at 5 p.m.

"I'd like to say that confidence ever left us, but at the same time this group has never really won this type of game," Seward said. "When we've played that next level of teams we have come up short consistently. Whether it's RIT earlier this year or Oneonta, our last year Oneonta and Geneseo couple times, so to get one of these it probably does give us a little boost. Like is said, I'd like to say we never lost that, but this group, this is their first real big game win, so I'm sure it does something like that."  

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