It's been a long 221 days since the SUNY New Paltz women's basketball team last set foot on the court. Yet on day 222, the Hawks begin their journey back to the SUNYAC Championship and the NCAA DIII Tournament once again, in a matchup against Skyline Conference power St. Joseph's University on the Golden Eagles home court in Patchogue, Long Island.

After a record setting 25-4 regular season, a 17-1 SUNYAC record, a seventh SUNYAC title and a seventh trip to the NCAA DIII 'big dance," 18-year head coach Jamie Seward (330-140) and 13-year assistant coach Darren Jackson look to continue the excellence that is the hallmark of SUNY New Paltz women's basketball.

"We want to win the SUNYAC which we know how to do," said Hawks senior guard Morgan Hammell. "We've done it with this core group of seniors and grad students, so we're going to take that with us to get into the NCAA Tournament."

Last season's accomplishments were achieved with just 10 players on the roster, with all 10 contributing heavily to the team's success. The 2024-25 campaign sees the Hawks field 14 players, six who bring extensive experience and leadership; the remaining pliers include one transfer and seven first years. The biggest returners are featured in the team's fifth-year class, as Brianna Fitzgerald, Julia Sabatino, Abby Korzekwinski and Madison Mullman all came back to exercise its fourth competitive season as their freshman year was canceled due to the pandemic. The four, coupled with true fourth-year senior Hammell and sophomore Hannah Vanderzee are the core of last year's run and will provide leadership from a young group joining them ahead of 2024-25.
 

"We're going to take pride in everything we do," Hammell said. "Binging in the younger kids is important to us because they'll have to bring in the next group of kids in… [It's important to us] they hold the same accountability at practice, they're communicating at the same level and we can finish this year strong knowing that they're behind us."

All the 2024-25 Hawks possess outstanding basketball ability that will help to meet the once again challenging schedule that Seward has put together for the Hawks. In addition to the 18-game SUNYAC schedule, SUNY New Paltz has a rugged non-conference schedule against six teams that all saw postseason action in 2023-24 and includes a pre-New Year's weekend swing to Las Vegas for the 14th Annual D3hoops.com Classic, playing Cal Lutheran and Colorado College.

Statistically, the 2023-24 Hawks averaged 68.5 points per game, while allowing opponents just 57.2 points against to flex a plus-11.2 points per game scoring margin. SUNY New Paltz had a plus-8.4 rebounding margin, while averaging 15 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game — all statistics placing them in the top 100 of NCAA DIII teams. Their 19.7 points off turnovers earned them another notch in the national stats.
Leading the team will be one of the best players in the country in Fitzgerald (Dix Hills, NY/Island Trees HS), a two-time All-America who was also just recently named to her second D3Hoops preseason All-American recognition, just one of five players to land on first team.
 
Entering her fourth year of competition, Fitzgerald, a two-time SUNYAC Player of the Year, led SUNY New Paltz in four categories: points (18.8 per game), rebounds (8.1 per game), steals (90) and blocks (41), while ranking second in assists with 101. Korzekwinski (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River HS), was an All SUNYAC Third Team pick a year ago. She ranked third in scoring with an 8.9 points per game average, while also registering 5.8 rebounds per game with 30 assists, 34 steals and 11 blocks on the year. Sabatino (Bayville, NY/Locust Valley HS) led SUNY New Paltz with 118 assists a year ago, returns as the team's leading point guard/ She scored about six points per game last season and finished second on the team in steals with 59 to go along with 13 blocks. Mullman (East Northport, NY/Elwood-John H. Glenn HS), meanwhile averaged 5.6 points per game a season ago, seeing action in all 29 games.

Hammell (Pleasant Valley, NY/ Arlington HS) is the lone true senior and is looking to build off a break-out junior campaign where she started 28 of 29 games. She finished fourth on the team in scoring with 6.2 points per game, while ranking third with 67 assists to go along with 3.8 rebounds per game, 29 steals and eight blocks. Rounding out the returnees from last season is sophomore guard/forward Vanderzee (Ravena, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk HS). As a first-year player on an upper-class dominated team, Vanderzee nonetheless saw action in 24 games, gaining valuable playing time in key moments for SUNY New Paltz.

"The thought of not playing basketball at the end of this year just makes every day an important day," Hammell said. "Don't take any day for granted, and I want the younger girls to see that just so they see how fast it goes. Four years flies by."

One transfer and seven first year players round out the Hawks squad for 2024-25 and all bring outstanding credentials to New Paltz. Junior transfer Karly Wittenbauer (Edison, NJ/J. P. Stevens HS), a 5'9" forward, saw action in 52 games for the Ramapo College Roadrunners, scoring 221 points with 139 rebounds. She was a four-year starter for J. P. Stevens and was a four-time All Division selection.
The future of SUNY New Paltz women's basketball will be determined by how well the Hawks seven freshmen adjust to the college game and the high expectations of SUNY New Paltz women's basketball. Alphabetically the newcomers are Sophia Bonnell (5'5" PG/ Horseheads, NY/Horseheads HS), a two-time All-NYS Class AA pick and 2024 Section IV Class AA Player of the Year who led the Blue Raiders to three straight Section IV Class AA playoffs; Sierra Carter (5'7" G/Watervliet, NY/Shaker HS) was a 2024 Section 2 Class AAA selection and led the Bisons to the Section 2 Class AAA finals in 2024. Grace Cozzens (5'11" F/Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa HS) was a three-year starter and helped lead the Plainsmen to the 2024 Section 2 Class AAA semifinals; Kamryn Hoyt (5'9" G/F/Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley HS) was a 2024 Section IV Class B Honorable Mention and a STAC Central ll Division selection, leading the Warriors into the 2024 Section IV playoffs; Grace Koehler (5'7" G/F/ Highland, NY/Highland HS) was a five year varsity player and four year starter for the Huskies, a two-time All-Section IX Class B pick and 2024 Section IX Class B Player of the Year; Caitlin Mullen (5'4" G/Rockaway, NY/Archbishop Molloy HS) was one of the CHSAA's top 3-point shooters, earning Brooklyn/Queens First-Team honors and NYSCHSAA Tier 1 Third Team honors twice with the Stanners; Olivia Ventre (5'10" G/Shrewsbury, NJ/ Red Bank Regional HS) played two years at New Jersey powerhouse Red Bank Catholic, finishing her career at Red Bank Regional High School, helping the Bucs to the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 3 playoffs in 2024.

"I think we've learned a lot as a team in these past years and being my fifth year having a lot of new girls, it's just exciting to be able to teach them and get them to understand our culture here," Sabatino said. "It's just been really fun in practice, getting them to get excited. We have a really competitive group and I'm really excited to see where it takes us.

"What we teach them reflects what we are and who we are, and how we do things here," she added. We want to imprint in them just the mindset we have here going into games, always giving 100 percent, being that ruthless, relentless team that never stops coming."

Beginning Nov. 9 at St. Joseph's University, there are 106 days in the 2024-25 regular season for the SUNY New Paltz women's basketball team. With the returning talent and the enthusiasm of the new players, the Hawks hope to be playing on day 112, hosting again the SUNYAC championship, with the promise of playing again on day 119, again hosting the NCAA DIII regional tournament.

After four straight away contests, the Hawks open their home season and SUNYAC defense Dec. 6 against SUNY Fredonia and Dec. 7 against Buffalo State in the friendly confines of the Hawk Center.

"We've had a taste of it the past three years and we've come so close," said Sabatino of an NCAA Championship run. "We know what's going to happen in the end. We know what we're working for. We know what we need to do to get there as well, so it's just really exciting." 

Season Preview Featuring Julia Sabatino & Morgan Hammell




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