Nearly midway through the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) season there are only two undefeated conference teams left, and they meet up in Corey Gymnasium Tuesday.
 
The defending SUNYAC Champions, the State University of New York at New Paltz are on the road to take on fellow conference undefeated SUNY Cortland. Both teams are 6-0 in SUNYAC play.
 
The Red Dragons (12-1, 6-0) haven't lost in their last 10 games and have come away with conference victories over SUNY Geneseo, The College at Brockport, Buffalo State, Fredonia, Oneonta and most recently against Oswego Jan. 18. They are 8-0 at home thus far with their only loss of the year coming against Ithaca College Nov. 19.  
Cortland finished last season 12-14 and fourth in the conference standings, getting eliminated from playoff contention in the quarterfinal round by the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles. The Red Dragons already matched last season's win total and are en route to surpassing last year's conference mark with second-year coach Jacey Brooks at the helm. They are led by Queens College senior transfer Beth Bonin, who has averaged nearly 18 points, four rebounds and two steals per game. Bonin has shot an efficient 42.7 percent from the perimeter and 41 percent from 3-point range.
 
Junior guard Shannon McGuire follows Bonin offensively with nearly 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. Freshmen Sarah Tully and Nyia Longford has stepped up to start all 13 games thus far for the Red Dragons, joining just McGuire to do so. The two have combined to contribute about 16 points and 13 rebounds a contest.
 
Cortland leads the league in points per game, averaging 70.4, while shooting 38 and 31.3 percent from the field and the perimeter, respectively, as a team. It ranks first in points allowed as well, as the Red Dragons give up a conference-least 51.7 points per game, keeping the opposition to just 32 percent from the floor and 24.5 percent from behind the arc — both bests in the SUNYAC.
 
The Hawks came away with two dramatic road victories against SUNY Geneseo and The College at Brockport this past weekend. They handed the No. 24 nationally ranked Knights their first SUNYAC loss of the year after overcoming a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to ultimately win, 71-67 in overtime. They had another slow start against the Golden Eagles, but overcame a 23-point first half deficit to earn a 59-51 victory.  
A variety of players stepped up in both outings. Maddie Van Pelt scored a career-high 23 points against the Knights, but it was Lexi Van Vorst who came through with the biggest shot. The freshman finished 1-for-5, but confidently had the ball in her hands and knocked down a game-tying driving layup with 19 seconds left that pushed the game into extra time. Against Brockport, Philesha Teape led the way with her fourth double-double of the season, finishing 6-of-10 for 21 points and 10 rebounds. But it was the unconventional lineup of Van Pelt, Teape, and freshmen Maddie Gillis, Cassidy Deaver and Van Vorst down the stretch that helped the Hawks re-gain and put away the win with Van Vorst playing a career-high, and Deaver nearly matching a career-high in minutes played.
 
SUNY New Paltz doesn't want another slow start, but have proven no deficit is too large to overcome with a veteran group who has also seen its promising first-year players step up as the season's progressed. Senior Marion Dietz paces the team with 15.8 points per game, shooting 40 percent from the field. Van Pelt follows, as she totals 12.6 points a contest to go along with 6.6 rebounds — second most on the team only behind Teape (7.2 per game).
 
The Hawks are very active on the defensive side of the floor, averaging about 11 steals per game, third-most only behind Cortland and Buffalo State. They cause a SUNYAC-leading 25.8 turnovers an outing with the Red Dragons right behind with 20.2 a contest. However, the Red Dragons hold the advantage on the boards, pulling down about 44 per game, while the Hawks — who lost the battle on the glass in both contests this past weekend — average about 38 a night.
 
SUNY New Paltz is set to tip-off against Cortland Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Corey Gymnasium.

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