Plattsburgh, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz extended its winning streak to 13 games after coming away with a 65-55 win on the road over Plattsburgh Friday night.
 
The Hawks entered their last weekend of the regular season with the top seed in the SUNYAC Tournament already clinched, was named as the No. 1 team in Region III and projected as a No. 12 seed by D3hoops.com Thursday night in the NCAA Tournament. And although the first half was a shaky start, they dominated the second half, out-scoring the Cardinals, 33-22 as they held the hosts to just five made baskets in the final 20 minutes of play to earn the series sweep.
 
Plattsburgh cut into the lead at the end of the first quarter and trailed by just two at 16-14 entering the second, and ultimately took the lead two minutes into the period following back-to-back baskets by Imani Walcott and Payton Couture. Jenny Walton immediately answered for SUNY New Paltz with a 3-pointer, but the Cardinals scored four-straight to re-gain control. Walton knocked down another shot from the perimeter, but Plattsburgh stayed in front until Brianna Fitzgerald hit for a traditional 3-point play, finishing at the hoop and then swishing on the ensuing free throw. She immediately won the ball back on a steal and laid in two more to give SUNY new Paltz a 27-26 lead.  
 
The two teams traded leads until the Cardinals went on a 5-0 run before an and-1 by Abby Korzekwinski in the final seconds broke up the stretch with Plattsburgh taking a 33-32 lead at the break.
 
Momentum shifted at the start of the second half. Korzkewinski and the Cardinals' Mya Smith exchanged baskets to begin the quarter, but Korzekwinski instigated a 8-1 run for her team, as she connected inside the paint off an assist by Walton. Morgan Hammell hit next for the Hawks, draining her attempt from behind the arc. Walton then capped the stretch with another swish from 3-point range to push the score to 42-36 in favor of SUNY New Paltz with about three minutes remaining.  
Plattsburgh trimmed the difference to one twice, including at 43-42 with two minutes left in the period, but the Hawks countered with seven unanswered points facilitated by five-straight points from Hammell and capped with a steal and score from Madison Mullman to earn an eight-point cushion entering the fourth.
 
SUNY New Paltz built on its lead in the fourth and held on to a double-digit cushion for the majority of the final 10 minutes of action, holding as large as a 14-point advantage thanks to a steal and transition bucket by Walton. The Cardinals brought the deficit back down to nine with just more than a minute left, but Semaiah Williams answered with a triple for SUNY New Paltz to help put the game away.
 
Walton led all scorers with 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including 4-for-9 from 3-point range, while adding six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Korzkewinski followed with 15 points on 7-for-15 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. Fitzgerald rounded out the offense for the Hawks, as she recorded her ninth double-double of the season, registering 13 points after connecting on 6-for-14 from the field with 11 rebounds, three assists, one block and a game-high four steals.
 
SUNY New Paltz improved to 21-3 overall and 16-1 in the SUNYAC with the win. It will close out the regular season Saturday when it visits SUNY Potsdam. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.


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