Boston, MA — After jumping out to a 7-0 lead over No. 2 nationally ranked Tufts Saturday, the State University of New York at New Paltz allowed the Jumbos to climb back in with a rough second quarter that saw six turnovers. The tournament hosts took advantage and built a 13-point cushion at the half and rode their momentum to a 69-53 win over the Hawks Saturday.
 
No. 23 SUNY New Paltz suffered its first loss of the season after getting off to a 2-0 start, while Tufts improved to 2-0 after defeating Roger Williams Friday in the first day of the Tufts Tournament Tip-Off.

It was a low scoring first quarter on both sides. The Hawks scored seven consecutive points, but didn't register a point after the 6:46 mark, while the Jumbos rode a 6-0 run to end the quarter that turned into an 11-2 stretch midway through the second. SUNY New Paltz couldn't find a groove offensively, and compiled with uncharacteristic turnovers, Tufts started flexing its advantage to take a 27-14 advantage into the half. 
The Hawks suffered a season-high 24 turnovers in the game, 12 of which coming in the first half with the Jumbos capitalizing with 26 points off miscues.
 
"The turnovers in the first half were huge, literally the difference in the score at halftime," said SUNY New Paltz coach Jamie Seward. "However, we lost focus and the intensity level dropped on the defensive end in the second quarter when we were struggling to score. That is completely unacceptable."
 
After getting out-scored 21-7 in the final 10 minutes before the break, the Hawks upped their play coming out into the third quarter. Maddie Van Pelt helped pick up SUNY New Paltz's offense, hitting three-straight baskets including just her second 3-pointer of the season. The Hawks trimmed the lead to as close as 12 three times throughout the third, but couldn't limit the Jumbos on the defensive end as they maintained a comfortable margin.
 
"I thought we out-played them in the third, but didn't really trim the lead because we gave away 10 points — four on baseline out of bounds plays where we stood up and watched, another lazy defensive play in transition, an offensive rebound and put-back on a free throw, and a foul 94 feet away from the basket," Seward said. "You can't do that against a team of that caliber period, and especially when you're trying to cut into a double-digit deficit. But that is the difference between a very good team and an elite team. There's no plays off or ones that don't matter. Hopefully, we learned that lesson tonight, because it cost us the game."
 
SUNY New Paltz did get a stop on Tufts' final offensive possession of the quarter, as good one-on-one defense by Maddie Gillis forced the Jumbo's Sadie Otley to turn the ball over. Marion Dietz picked up the loose ball and pushed down the floor to earn trip to the foul line in the final seconds. She hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to cut the score, 46-34 going into the fourth.
 
Tufts continued taking advantage with opportunities in the paint, as it quickly put the Hawks in foul trouble, while also sustaining its double-digit cushion to pull away for the win. The Jumbos made 16-for-22 as a team from the line and scored 28 of their points in the paint. They also won the battle on the glass, 38-31.
 
Dietz led her team offensively with 15 points on 4-for-11 from the field, while shooting 7-for-12 from the foul line. Van Pelt followed with 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists and made 5-of-7 from the floor, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Philesha Teape registered her third-straight double-double, producing 11 points and 10 rebounds, five of which were on the offensive end.
 
The Hawks have a 10 day break until their next outing when they take on Vassar College in their home opening in the Hawk Center Nov. 26.  

For everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.