Newburgh, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz collected its first win of the season Sunday with a 78-52 victory, extending its winning streak over the Knights to five games.
The Hawks (1-3 overall) had their most efficient offensive performance of the young season, shooting nearly 42 percent from the field including a game-turning third quarter where they made 11-for-15 from the field to extend their cushion to nearly 20 entering the fourth.
A close first quarter, SUNY New Paltz took an 18-16 lead into the second where it held MSMC to just eight points on three made baskets.
Julia Sabatino netted a 3-pointer, which was followed by a defensive rebound and quick kickout to
Hannah Vanderzee in transition to give the Hawks their largest lead of the period at 26-18 early in the second. After the Knights brought the score back down to four,
Caitlin Mullen responded with a triple of her own off an assist from
Sophia Bonnell to create a seven-point lead with a minute to go in the half that stood until quarter's end.
SUNY New Paltz broke the game open in the third quarter, earning its first double-digit lead following a 9-0 run, stemmed from the play of Sabatino. The grad student started the stretch with a make in the paint off a feed from transfer
Karly Wittenbauer. Sabatino then got her hands on a steal the next time down the floor leading to a 3-ball by Bonnell. Wittenbauer then added on with a mid-ranged jumper off a feed by Sabatino before Korzekwinski capped the unanswered stretch with a layup in the paint off another assist from Sabatino to bring the Hawks' lead to 45-30 with just less than six minutes to go in the period.
The advantage was ballooned to as many as 20 following another make from behind the arc by Bonnell two minutes later and SUNY New Paltz sustained a 19-point cushion entering the fourth following a last-second basket by Korzekwinski following a steal from Vanderzee.
The Hawks controlled the game from there as they built upon their lead in the fourth going up by as many as 32, the last off a tip-in layup by Mullen with three minutes left to create a 78-46 score. The Knights scored the last six points of the game, but SUNY New Paltz stood strong to clinch its first victory of the 2024-25 campaign ahead of its home opener next weekend.
Sabatino flirted with a triple-double, finishing with a game-high 16 points off an efficient 6-for-11 shooting, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range in 29 minutes, while adding a game-high eight rebounds and six assists with three steals. Vanderzee followed with 14 points off 6-for-9 shooting in 22 minutes with six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Korzekwinski had 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block in 28 minutes, while Bonnell finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Wittenbauer rounded out the scoring with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting with two rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes off the bench.
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Friday and Saturday, hosting Fredonia and Buffalo State, respectively, in the Hawk Center for its first SUNYAC action of the season. Tip-off against the Blue Devils and Bengals is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
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