Returning to the Hawk Center to resume conference play Tuesday, the State University of New York at New Paltz hosts a much-improved Oswego State team that is coming off its second win in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).

The Hawks have yet to lose a SUNYAC game since Dec. 8, 2018, winning 20-straight including last season's conference tournament and three thus far this season. They are recently coming off a tight win on the road against SUNY Oneonta Saturday where they escaped with a 56-53 victory. 
SUNY New Paltz last hosted a conference opponent in its opening SUNYAC weekend Dec. 6 and 7 where it convincingly earned two 30-point victories over Plattsburgh State and SUNY Potsdam. The team has gone 3-1 since that weekend and has yet to re-gain its prowess offensively, shooting just 30.8 percent in its last four games. The Hawks needed a hot-hand from leading scorer Marion Dietz and a career-high from freshman guard Olivia Badura to lift them over SUNY Oneonta Saturday. The duo combined to shoot 10-for-17 from the perimeter.

The Lakers also enjoyed a win in their most recent SUNYAC contest, defeating Buffalo State at home, 79-67. They rebounded from just their second conference loss the day before when they fell to visiting Fredonia State, 71-52. They split their only other SUNYAC weekend earlier in the season, earning a win over The College at Brockport before losing to SUNY Geneseo with both games played on the road.

Through 10 games, Oswego has already tripled the number of wins it had a season ago when it finished 2-23 overall and 1-17 in the SUNYAC. The Lakers are led by sophomore forward Sy Ramatoulaye, a Third-Team All-SUNYAC selection a year ago after averaging a double-double last season. Ramatoulaye is enjoying a career-year thus far, pacing the team in points and ranking second in the conference in points per game (18.1), while also pulling down a team-best 11.6 rebounds a contest. She was out for Oswego's series against the Blue Devils and Bengals and senior forward Sydni Eure stepped in to lead the team with 28 points on the weekend. Eure is the team's second leading scorer, as she has averaged 14.9 points per game while shooting nearly 52 percent from the field. She is the team's second-best rebounder, also averaging a double-double on the season with 10.7 rebounds per game.

Although the Lakers aren't the most offensively productive team in the conference, averaging just less than 64 points per game, they statistically have one of the stingiest defenses. Oswego ranks third best in the SUNYAC in shooting percentage allowed (33.8), points per game yielded (58.2) and fourth-best in caused turnovers per game (19.6), behind SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Cortland and Buffalo State. The Lakers are also a strong rebounding team, led by Ramatoulaye and Eure, the team averages about 46 boards a contest with a differential of 7.1.

The Hawks are just as good defensively, yielding about 58 points against on 38 percent shooting, including 30 percent from 3-point range. Their offensive numbers have gone down the last few outings, but they are still averaging about 69 points a contest, while shooting about 36 percent from the field. They are the most active team in the SUNYAC in terms of caused turnovers, averaging a SUNYAC-best 24.5 per game, capitalizing with about 20 points an outing off those misuces. They have also taken advantage of their length and athleticism along its roster, averaging about 10 steals and four blocks per game after totaling 103 and 37, respectively on the season.

Dietz and fellow seniors Maddie Van Pelt and Paige Niemeyer are pacing the team offensively with all averaging double-figure points through 10 games. Dietz contributes 17 points a contest, shooting 38 percent from the floor and 36 percent from 3, while also totaling three rebounds and three assists per game. Van Pelt has registered a career-best 11.4 points per game, shooting 43 percent from the field and averaging seven rebounds an outing. Niemeyer follows with 10.3 points per game to go along with about three assists, two steals and a block per game.

SUNY New Paltz is set to take on the Lakers Tuesday in the Hawk Center at 5:30 p.m. 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.