Potsdam, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz closed out the regular season with a 60-59 win over hosting Potsdam Saturday to claim the series sweep.
 
The Hawks end the regular season at 22-3 overall and 17-1 in the SUNYAC with the top seed in hand, while extending their winning streak to 14 games as they enjoy a bye week as they await their semifinal opponent Feb. 23.
 
SUNY New Paltz opened up hot against the Bears, getting out to a 38-17 halftime lead. It shot 43 percent from the field as a team and connected on 4-for-9 from 3-point range. The Hawks swarmed defensively and totaled 10 steals in the first half alone, capitalizing with 28 points off turnovers. They held their largest lead at 22, which came midway through the second quarter following a make behind the arc by Jenny Walton.
 
The script flipped in the second half, as the Hawks struggled to find the bottom of the basket. They shot just 21-percent in the final 20 minutes, making seven baskets.
 
Potsdam trimmed the lead down to seven entering the fourth at 46-39 and opened up the final quarter with a made triple to bring the deficit to four, but Brianna Fitzgerald answered with a basket in the paint off a feed from Morgan Hammell. Following a defensive stop, Fitzgerald capitalized on the offensive end with a made jumper and after two missed three throws by the Bears, Fitzgerald made her way through the lane and earned a trip to the foul line where she made both attempts to re-up a double-digit cushion at 52-42 with seven minutes remaining in the game. Julia Sabatino capped the run, as she connected in the paint off a dish by Fitzgerald. The Bears scored five-straight to trim the score to seven with more than four minutes left, but SUNY New Paltz anchored defensively and maintained the slight advantage as both teams went cold from the floor until Walton connected at the rim off an assist from Fitzgerald with just less than two minutes left to create a 56-47 score. A steal and a make from the perimeter gave the Bears life with about 30 seconds left, creating a two-possession game. Sabatino was sent to the line and made 1-of-2, but Potsdam wouldn't go away as it registered another trey with less than 10 seconds left to get within three. Sabatino again went to the line and made 1-of-2 to crucially create a four-point cushion and although Potsdam made another from behind the arc, the time ran out to seal the victory for the Hawks.
 
Fitzgerald led all scorers with 26 points, hitting 10-for-11 from the foul line, while adding a team-leading eight rebounds with two assists and two steals. Sabatino followed with 13 points, five rebounds and a team-most six assists and four steals. Walton rounded out the scoring, as she finished with 12 points, five rebounds, an assist and two steals.

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