New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz closed out its home regular season schedule Saturday with a 60-37 win over SUNY Brockport.
 
The Hawks matched last season's win total, improving to 20-3 and reaching 20-wins for the fourth consecutive season, and fifth time in seven years as they celebrated their seven seniors prior to the game in Olivia Badura, Lexi Van Vorst, Maddie Gillis, Gabby Palladino, Cassidy Deaver, Graci Serravillo and Victoria Venus.
 
The first half was tight with tension high on a full crowd in the Hawk Center. The Golden Eagles took their first and only lead following an and-1 by Juan Brown. Abby Korzekwinski tied the game at 13 off a dish by Jenny Walton to end the period.
 
Korzekwinski helped re-up her team's lead, boxing out and snagging an offensive board following the initial attempt by Walton for an easy put-back. Brockport scored two next time down the floor, but Korzekwinski answered on a smooth move to the hoop, evading a defender and finishing off glass. The score started a 13-0 run for SUNY New Paltz capped by a 3 by Madison Mullman to bring the lead to 26-15 with less than two minutes to play.
 
The Golden Eagles gained ground in the final minute, however, and trimmed the difference to 28-21 at the break.
 
The Hawks regrouped in the second half and took over the game in the third. Following a traveling violation on the opening play by Brockport, Walton drained a 3 from the corner. On the ensuing inbound, Korzkewinski came up with a steal under the hoop and doubled down for two points to quickly extend the lead to 33-21.
 
 
Walton began heating up from 3-point range, as the junior connected in the corner once more with seven minutes still remaining. On the ensuing possession for the Golden Eagles, Korzekwinski made an athletic play, reading the pass coming in from midcourt, picking the ball off and stumbling her way to two in transition to push the lead to 15. Fitzgerald got in on the 3-ball, as she hit off an assist by Gillis. Gillis pulled down an defensive board two possessions later and quickly pushed to Walton who sank another in the corner before Deaver drained a trey in the final seconds off a feed by Julia Sabatino to break the game open and give SUNY New Paltz its largest advantage at 55-31 entering the fourth.  
The two teams combined for 11 points in the final 10 minutes, as the Hawks emptied their bench and held off Brockport to own the series sweep and improve to 16-0 in the SUNYAC, clinching the top seed in the conference tournament for the third time in four seasons.
 
Walton led all scorers with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting in 20 minutes, while adding five rebounds, two steals and two assists. Korzkewinski and Fitzgerald followed with 10 apiece. Fitzgerald also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Badura finished with seven points and three rebounds, while Serravillo added six points, a steal and tied for a team-high three assists, along with Gillis and Sabatino who also combined for 10 rebounds.
 
SUNY New Paltz has two games left in the regular season, coming on the road next week at Plattsburgh and Potsdam. It will wait to see which matchup comes next in the postseason with quarterfinals beginning Feb. 21 before the final two rounds resume in the Hawk Center Feb. 24 and 25, respectively.

Hawks vs. Brockport Game Highlights


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