New Paltz, NY -- The 2021-2022 State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball schedule was released Tuesday, with the team looking for its third consecutive conference championship as well as its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

Three years ago, the Hawks made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Bowdoin College and in 2020 were a made basket away from getting back to the third round of the national tournament before falling to Smith College, 62-60. They are also seeking their third straight 25-win season. 

The dream to reach, and even exceed, their goals and take the next leap to the Elite Eight (a stage they have never been), begins with their Nov. 8 home opener against Mount Saint Mary. Nov. 12 and 13 they will play in the University of Rochester Tip-Off Tournament, which they last played in in 2016 where they went 1-1, losing to No. 7 nationally ranked Rochester and defeating the University of Mount Union.

The team gets into its conference schedule Nov. 30, first hosting SUNY Oneonta (a 5:30 p.m. tip), and then playing at SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Plattsburgh Dec. 3 and 4. SUNY New Paltz has not lost to the Red Dragons of Oneonta since 2018, and have not lost to either the Bears or the Cardinals since 2014.

The Hawks will venture to Northampton, MA for the Smith College Holiday Tournament Dec. 30 and 31, before two back-to-back road games Jan. 7 and 8 at SUNY Geneseo and The College at Brockport. Geneseo is a much-anticipated matchup, as the Knights were a third-place finisher in the SUNYAC in 2019-2020. SUNY New Paltz will have a re-match against SUNY Cortland, who it defeated to capture its fifth SUNYAC title in 2020, Jan. 28 and Feb. 12, respectively. The Hawks then end their regular season Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. against the Cardinals of Plattsburgh in the Hawk Center after taking on the Bears the night before. 

SUNY New Paltz will look to cap the season with their 19th SUNYAC Tournament appearance and sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the program's history. The No. 3 and 4 seeds will host the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament Feb. 22, and the top one seed will host the semifinal and championship games Feb. 25 and 26. The Hawks are aiming to host the final four of the SUNYAC Tournament for the third-straight year.

The NCAA Tournament is set to begin March 4 and 5 with the NCAA DIII Championship game taking place March 19 in Pittsburgh. 

To view the Hawks' full women's basketball schedule, click here.

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