After completing the first half of its season nearly two weeks ago, the State University of New York at New Paltz is ready to get back on the floor.
 
The Hawks ended their opening two-month schedule on a five-game winning streak, playing some of their best basketball of the season in their last two matchups on the road against SUNYAC opposition, Fredonia and Buffalo State. Last seeing action on Dec. 10, they resume competition Friday on the road at Union College for their last game of 2022.
 
"I think we finished the end of the first season well," said Hawks senior guard Maddie Gillis. "We came out on two SUNYAC weekends and really performed. We took care of our opponents. Our defense was looking a lot better and feeling a lot crisper. We were playing a lot more aggressive and that led to our offense. We were able to get some easy buckets and we were able to execute our offense like we wanted."
 
The Dutchmen also resume play after more than two weeks since suffering a 49-28 loss Dec. 11 against Middlebury just five days after losing a six-point overtime contest to Liberty League rival Vassar College, 60-54. SUNY New Paltz also fell to the same Brewers team Nov. 22, 59-58.
 
 
Union has started the season at 3-5 overall with wins over Mount Saint Mary College — who SUNY New Paltz also defeated, 70-53 in its home opener — Clarkson University and SUNY Cobleskill. The Dutchmen left off on a two-game losing skid including going 1-2 in the Liberty League, but return to their home floor for just the second time on the year Friday. 
 
"Union plays more of a slower and lower possession game, and we've had a couple games like that this year, so we've kind of been just reflecting off those games and been game planning like that," Gillis said.

Offensively Union is led by 5-foot, 7-inch senior guard Kendall Degenhardt who paces the team with 8.5 points per game. She was shutout in 22 minutes against the Panthers, but put up 18 and 22 points, respectively, against St. Lawrence and the Golden Knights. Senior Megan Lee follows offensively with 7.1 points per game. The 5-10 forward also leads the team on the glass, averaging 9.3 a contest and has totaled double-digit rebounds in three of eight games including a season-high 15 against Mount Saint Mary.  
The Dutchmen have been outscored this season 54.3-48.3 and in their first eight games are averaging just 31.4 percent from the floor including just more than 20 percent from 3-point range.
 
The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off their highest scoring out-put in nearly four years after registering 92 in a 66-point win over the Bengals. Every player on the roster stepped on the floor and recorded at least a point with only one in double-digits in a total team effort. Overall, they've averaged nearly 68 points per game thus far, while keeping their opposition to 50.5 a contest.
 
Brianna Fitzgerald leads SUNY New Paltz offensively, averaging 13 points per game on 47 percent shooting, including 40 percent from 3-point range.  She also paces her team in rebounds (79), averaging more than seven per game, assists (31) and steals (4). Jenny Walton follows offensively, totaling about 10 points per game on 36 percent shooting.
 
"After our two weeks off I think all of us are really excited to come into the second half of the season," Gillis said. "The emphasis in practice has just been that our conditioning level has been maintained over the break. We got up and down a lot [Tuesday] and [Wednesday] we were focusing a lot on finishing, going through our offense and cleaning that up."
 
SUNY New Paltz is looking to improve to 9-3 on the year as its set to face Union Friday at Viniar Athletic Center at 1 p.m.

Maddie Gillis Preview Interview


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