Brockport, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz remained unbeaten in conference play Friday after going on the road and defeating hosting Brockport, 69-54.
 
The Hawks (11-3 overall, 7-0 SUNYAC) started pulling away midway through the second quarter after the score was tied three times with six different lead changes, as SUNY New Paltz trailed in the opening minutes of the game. Brianna Fitzgerald pushed her team ahead for the first time with five minutes to go in the first on an and-1 opportunity. The junior also aided in a 17-16 lead at the end of the first, taking advantage of a Maddie Gillis steal in the final minutes that came just after a swish from the perimeter by Madison Mullman.
 
A 3-pointer by the Golden Eagles with just more than six minutes to play in the second quarter tied the score at 22, but Lexi Van Vorst — who was hot all game from behind the arc — answered with one of her five 3-pointer of the night to create some separation for the Hawks. With a one-point lead midway through the period following a media timeout, SUNY New Paltz started extending its cushion. Van Vorst hit again from range before Gillis found Fitzgerald inside two possessions later to gain a 30-27 lead with three minutes to go. Nice ball movement in response to a 2-3 zone by Brockport opened the paint for Abby Korzekwinski with the Golden Eagles rotating early on Fitzgerald, which pushed the score to 32-27. Graci Serravillo helped in the eight-point cushion at the break, hitting from behind the arc following an offensive rebound by Mullman and dish by Van Vorst, then again connecting in the paint in the final seconds off a feed by Van Vorst to extend the score, 39-31
 
"There were definitely times we executed our offense really well, but it seemed like we also got away from it here and there as well," said SUNY New Paltz coach Jamie Seward. "We played more urgently more often in the second half and that buoyed our defense in the second half." Van Vorst continued her stand-out performance, forcing a turnover with a steal off Zoe Zutes, then taking advantage with another trey to push the score to 42-34. Korzekwinski helped her team to a 10-point lead shortly after, as Fitzgerald fed the 6-footer underneath for the easy bucket. Korzekwinski extended the cushion to 11 on a put-back with Gillis answering next time down the floor on a pump fake to get baseline and finishing off the glass, which set the score at 49-36 midway through the third quarter.
 
SUNY New Paltz kept the intensity up to end the period, crashing the boards to create second-chance opportunities and extra chances at the foul line. Mullman took an advantage on an offensive board, going to the charity stripe and pushing the score to 52-38 with 2:40 to play. Fitzgerald added on to end the third, hitting from the foul line and then once more in the paint to get the score to 55-41 Hawks.
 
SUNY New Paltz held the momentum entering the fourth and put the game away essentially in the opening three minutes of the final quarter. Fitzgerald earned an and-1 off an inbounds play, taking contact in the paint and getting her bucket to go. Following the made free throw the score was pushed to 58-43. Three possessions later, Van Vorst added three more with Gillis pushing in transition following a defensive rebound, finding Fitzgerald who kicked out to Cassidy Deaver. With the Golden Eagles closing out hard on the perimeter, Deaver swung for one more pass to an open Van Vorst who knocked down the shot. Gillis officially created a 20-point lead for SUNY New Paltz on the next offensive possession, getting into the paint and finishing with her left to give her team their largest lead of the night at 63-43.
 
The Golden Eagles trimmed the difference slightly down the stretch, but the deficit was too great to climb out and the Hawks claimed their eighth-straight win and seventh victory in the SUNYAC.
 
Van Vorst finished with a season-high 17 points off 6-for-9 shooting, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range with three rebounds, three assists and a steal in 20 minutes. Fitzgerald followed with 16 points on a 5-for-8 shooting night, getting to the line eight times, making six, while adding a team-leading five assists with five rebounds. Korzekwinski added nine points, four rebounds and a block. Mullman had a team-high six rebounds to go along with four points, while Gillis finished with four points, two rebounds and four assists.
 
SUNY New Paltz shot 41 percent from the field and totaled 26 second-chance points after pulling down 19 offensive rebounds, while holding the advantage on the glass, 40-33. The Hawks totaled 16 assists as a team and forced 20 Golden Eagles turnovers.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back on the floor Saturday, facing hosting SUNY Geneseo at 2 p.m.

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