New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz won its third-straight game Friday night in the Hawk Center, 64-55 over Potsdam.
 
The Hawks improved to 11-3 overall and 6-1 in the SUNYAC with the victory over the visiting Bears (6-8, 2-6).
 
SUNY New Paltz played an uneven game, going up by as many as 16 which came in the fourth quarter but couldn't put Potsdam away as the Bears continued to stick around and came within nine with four minutes to go in the game. Ultimately, the Hawks held off the spurt and made stops down the stretch to secure their sixth win in the Hawk Center.
 
"We've been kind of stuck on an 11-point stretch for most of the season so far. It really feels like we're in control. We're up the whole game, but it doesn't ever feel like we're putting the team away where they can't come back," said SUNY New Paltz senior guard/forward Brianna Fitzgerald. "They break that lead pretty early, and in the fourth it's looking a little up and down. And like what coach always says, you can't rely on luck for something to happen. You don't want a 3 to bounce in and that be the downfall of our season."
 
Following a made 3 from Morgan Hammell, then a steal and a dish from Fitzgerald to Abby Korzekwinski, the Hawks quickly took a 13-point lead midway through the first quarter, but the Bears ended the period on a 9-0 run to cut the score 21-17 entering the second.
 
 
SUNY New Paltz rode its defense in the second quarter, limiting Potsdam to nine points on three made shots, while forcing seven turnovers to help establish a 37-26 lead at the break.
 
The Bears got within eight mid-way through the third, but a make from the perimeter by Madison Mullman off a feed from Korzekwinski re-upped the double digit lead with Korzekwniski then answering on a made jumper by Potsdam's Jakia Howard. Jenny Walton capped the third with a swish from 3-point range on a kick out by Hannah Vanderzee to push SUNY New Paltz ahead, 53-40 entering the final 10 minutes of play.  
Fitzgerald attacked the basket and got to the line on the first possession of the fourth, thanks to a steal by Gabby Palladino on the defensive end. Julia Sabatino found Mullman behind the arc on the following play on the offensive end to boost the Hawks' advantage to 16 with about nine minutes to play in the quarter.
 
Potsdam worked its way back down to single digits with about four minutes to go with a made basket in the lane to trim the score to 64-55 with neither team making a basket the rest of the way to solidify the final score.
 
SUNY New Paltz forced 26 Bears turnovers in the game on 15 steals with six blocks as a team, while holding its opponent to less than 37 percent from the field and a meager 28.6 percent from 3-point range.

The Hawks also struggled offensively, shooting 36.6 percent from the floor and 32 percent from 3-point range, but feasted in transition while scoring 30 of their points in the paint and 28 off turnovers.
 
"That's where we like to play. We like to play fast, we like to play in transition and then I felt like once coach said, 'don't even let them get set up into their defense,' we were like, ok let's do it, let's run the ball," Fitzgerald said. "I feel like our guards did a good job of really attacking and Abby and Semaiah [Williams] did a really good job sealing, getting us some good looks inside."
 
Fitzgerald led her team with 16 points on 6-for-17 shooting in 30 minutes of action, while adding five rebounds, one block and a game-high five assists and five steals. Walton followed with 12 points, shooting 5-for-14 in 27 minutes, while adding four assists, two steals and a block. Korzekwinski flirted with a double-double, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds with an assist and a block.
 
"This is probably one of the most talented teams I've ever played with individually. It's a struggle for us to put it together as a team and I feel like every day at practice we are really taking a step toward that goal and we're playing really well together," Fitzgerald said. "But there are some stretches in the game where we lack focus, lack attention to detail and I feel like once we get those key details down, this team will be phenomenal."
 
SUNY New Paltz returns to the Hawk Center Saturday to host SUNY Plattsburgh at 2 p.m. The Hawks will look to clinch their 16th-straight win over the Cardinals.
 
"We have to play disciplined," Fitzgerald added. "I think this is going to be a really good game for us for everybody to focus on guarding their girl, focusing on the scout and playing just all around really good defense and just stringing together some stops."  

Post-Game Featuring Brianna Fitzgerald



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