New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz fell in its final home game of 2024 Tuesday night in the Hawk Center 75-64 to visiting Hamilton College.
 
The Hawks (3-4 overall) stemmed a late comeback and worked back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to get within nine with just more than a minute to go.
 
Hannah Vanderzee got her hands on the ball and went coast-to-coast to trim the score to 73-64 with just more than a minute left leading to an immediate timeout by SUNY New Paltz coach Jamie Seward. Out of the break, the Hawks trapped the Continentals on the sideline and forced another turnover with Madison Mullman coming up with the steal and earning a trip to the foul line after getting hit following the turnover. However, after missing both, Hamilton was able to kill the rest of the clock with a make next time down the floor as they passed out of SUNY New Paltz's double for an easy lay-in, closing out the win.
 
Abby Korzekwinski opened up the game with the first two points of the day for the Hawks who saw their first of only two leads of the night. Sophia Bonnell connected on a 3-pointer off a kick-out by Julia Sabatino with just more than two minutes left in the first to push the SUNY New Paltz ahead, 17-16, but Hamilton answered next time down the floor and ended the period with a trey to go up by four and never relinquished the advantage from that point forward.
 
The Hawks struggled in the second quarter and saw their deficit extend to as many as 19, ultimately going into halftime trailing 44-27. They shot just 32 percent in the first half, making 13-for-40, while the Continentals in turn shot 50 percent on 16-for-32.
 
SUNY New Paltz couldn't climb out of the double-digit hole in the third and entered the final 10 minutes down, 62-45. Hamilton quickly upped its advantage to 18 with a trip to the line in the opening whistle of the fourth.
 
Despite battling foul trouble with the Continentals only totaling 17 to the Hawks 27, the hosts grinded their way back into the game. Bonnell answered another pair of foul shots from Hamilton with a make from 3-point range to get her team within 13 with 7:30 left. Another trip to the charity stripe for the visitors was countered with a put-back by Vanderzee to trim the difference to 12.
 
 
The Continentals continued getting to the free throw line to hold onto the comfortable margin, but a swish from behind the arc by Mullman gave the Hawks life with less than two minutes to go. Vanderzee then brought the score to a two-possession game after her steal and fast-break lay-in, but SUNY New Paltz's efforts came up just short down the stretch.  
Vanderzee finished with a career-high 22 points on an efficient 11-for-17 shooting in 24 minutes with five rebounds, four steals and an assist. Korzekwinski followed with her second-straight double-double, adding 12 points in 27 minutes with 11 rebounds, a steal and an assist. Bonnell followed with 10 points and three steals, while Sabatino finished with eight points, four rebounds, and a team-leading six assists.
 
SUNY New Paltz ended the game shooting 36 percent from the floor and just 3-for-15 from 3-point range with most of its points coming from the point (46) with 20 stemming off turnovers as it registered 11 steals as a team. Hamilton shot more than 40 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line as it tallied 27 of its points from the free throw line.
 
The Hawks have a long break before they're back in action Dec. 28 and Dec. 30 at the D3Hoops Classic in Las Vegas where they will face California Lutheran and Colorado College, respectively.
 

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