Potsdam, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz suffered its first conference loss of the season Friday night after falling to hosting Potsdam, 69-66.
 
The loss against the Bears is the first since 2014 for the Hawks.
 
Potsdam boasted arguably one of its best teams in recent memory heading into the matchup with the same 5-1 record heading into the game. Although, SUNY New Paltz did get off to a hot start and held a lead as big as 12 in the first quarter. However, following an early timeout by the Bears, the Hawks went cold from the field and were forced into 19 turnovers in the game and allowed Potsdam to take control and finish out with the win.
 
After Lexi Van Vorst got the offense started for SUNY New Paltz with five-straight points, Brianna Fitzgerald helped facilitate an early Hawks run in the opening period with Julia Sabatino and Jenny Walton aiding in the run, pitching in with 10 points off the bench. Following a made basket by Walton, which gave the Hawks a 17-5 advantage, both teams went to their benches for a short break on a media timeout. Potsdam adjusted defensively going into a zone defense and held SUNY New Paltz without a basket until the final seconds of the quarter. The Bears. Meanwhile, chipped away at the deficit and following a 3-pointer by Bella Barner, got within three of the lead. As the buzzer sounded to end the first quarter, Fitzgerald laid in a basket to end the scoreless draught for her team and boost the advantage to 19-14 going into the second. 
"When they switched to zone in the first quarter we struggled," said SUNY New Paltz coach Jamie Seward. "By the time we started to get a better feel for how to attack it they had taken control of the game."
 
Gillis opened up the second with a steal for the Hawks, picking off a pass at the top of the perimeter before going coast-to-coast to push the lead to seven. Potsdam answered with a 7-0 run, capped by Dyamon Hunter who showcased some of her skills, crossing over and finishing with a floater in the lane. Out of another media timeout, the Bears officially took their first lead of the game, as Madison McCormick knocked down three of her final 15 points of the game out of an in-bounds play to push her team ahead, 24-21 with about 6:30 left in the period.  
 
Graci Serravillo got her team back within one, weaving through the Bears zone to knock down a baby jumper inside the paint, but Potsdam responded with another 3-pointer from the same spot it had hit earlier to take the lead. SUNY New Paltz got within one once again late in the quarter, with Gillis showing off her athleticism, soared over defenders to grab an offensive board off the initial miss by the Hawks and getting her put-back to go to make the score, 35-34 in favor of the Bears. Potsdam had a chance to extend its lead as the halftime buzzer sounded, but its 3-pointer rolled in and then out to solidify the one-point lead at the break.
 
The Hawks offensive struggles lingered to start the third quarter until scoring with about seven minutes to go in the period when Fitzgerald pushed the ball up the floor and found Van Vorst in the corner for 3 to tie the game at 38. Both teams started to hit from the perimeter with each team knocking down 3's, while exchanging leads before Victoria Venus hit a tough shot as the third quarter expired to push SUNY New Paltz to a slight, 54-53 advantage entering the fourth.
 
SUNY New Paltz got out to a six-point lead to start the fourth, but the Bears countered with a 6-0 run in the following three-plus minutes, as Potsdam continued getting into the paint. Jakia Howard worked her way inside and earned two shots from the foul line, making both to knot the score at 62 with less than four minutes to play. Howard got back to the line on the Bears next possession to add two more from the charity stripe before McCormick capped off what turned into an unanswered run by the Bears with another 3-pointer after a steal by Caroline LaFountain to push the hosts ahead, 67-62.
 
"They attacked the basket aggressively and we had a hard time keeping them in front of us, particularly Dyamon," Seward said. "In the first half she was doing pretty much whatever she wanted, getting to the basket, creating for her teammates. We made it harder for her in the second half, but we kept leaving shooters open in the corner coming as Dyamon came off the ball screen and they certainly made us pay. And Howard really attacked the basket and the offensive glass and drew a ton of fouls. We obviously had no answers there."
 
The Hawks got within two after Fitzgerald got out in front following a stop on the defensive end, adding two and earning the foul in transition to cut the score, 67-65. SUNY New Paltz had a chance to tie on the following possession, as tight defense by Serravillo led to an offensive foul by Hunter to give SUNY New Paltz back the ball. Fitzgerald had a good look but couldn't get her shot to fall on the ensuing possession, but Gillis was there on the offensive board and was fouled on the attempt back up. Gillis made the back end of the two attempts and cut the score to one with just more than a minute to play.
 
Potsdam turned the ball over on its next possession off a bad pass off an inbounds play. Seward then called a timeout and out of the break Walton had a look from the corner to try and give SUNY New Paltz the lead, but her attempt was short with the Bears picking up the rebound. The Hawks nearly won the ball right back, getting a trap off their press but couldn't come up with the loose ball and Potsdam maintained possession. McCormick earned a trip to the foul line after attacking the hoop once again and sank both to extend the cushion to three with about 12 seconds left.
 
'Yeah, thought we had the steal but couldn't come up with it. Those things happen, but there were so many other plays throughout the game that we could have had a lot more to say about then we did, especially on the defensive end," Seward said.
 
Seward called a timeout with SUNY New Paltz inbounding on the far sideline. Potsdam played tight defense, which led to a forced heave from behind the arc by Gillis that came up short as time expired.
 
"I thought we had time to get a quick two, but then that wasn't there I was trying to get a timeout, but apparently the officials didn't hear me," Seward said. "But yes, credit to Potsdam they did a great job.'
 
Fitzgerald led all scorers with 21 points after shooting 8-for-17 from the field, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Van Vorst followed with 17 points on an efficient 6-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-11 from 3-point range. Serravillo scored five points but pulled down nine rebounds with two steals and a game-high five assists on the night.
 
The Hawks are back on the court Saturday when they face Plattsburgh State in Memorial Hall for a 2 p.m. matchup.

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