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Women's Basketball Athletic Communications

SUNY New Paltz Basketball Clinches Top Seeds in 2024 SUNYAC Tournament

(updated as of 2/21/24)

New Paltz, NY — For the first time in program history, both basketball programs at the State University of New York at New Paltz earned first round byes into the semifinal round of the SUNYAC Tournament after clinching top seeds in postseason conference play.
 
For the second straight year, and fourth time in the last five seasons, the Hawks women's basketball program holds the top seed entering the SUNYAC Tournament and will host the conference championships in the Hawk Center Feb. 23-24.

SUNY New Paltz, which landed at No. 25 nationally in the latest D3hoops.com poll, ended the regular season on a 14-game winning streak, including four-straight on the road. It secured its fifth-straight 20-win campaign while finishing the year at 17-1 in the SUNYAC with its lone loss coming against the No. 2 seeded Cortland Red Dragons who defeated them in the championship game last season on their home floor. The Hawks split the series with Cortland after falling in the first game in the Hawk Center Jan. 9. They went on the road and took home an, 80-72 victory Jan. 23. The win over the Red Dragons, coupled with a regional win over No. 20 Vassar College and regionally ranked Middlebury College, along with an upset win over then No. 2 Christopher Newport placed SUNY New Paltz atop region III in the latest NCAA Division III standings ahead of its final week of regular season play.
 
The Hawks men's basketball program, meanwhile, secured their first, first round bye with the No. 2 seed after ending the regular season at 18-7 overall and 12-6 in the SUNYAC. The 12 conference victories were the most ever in program history, surpassing coach Keith Kenney's 2021-22 team and his 1998-99 team while a player for the orange and blue. The 18 wins on the year ties for the most ever in program history, as they look to punch their ticket to their third ever SUNYAC Final and first since the 2002-03 season.
 
SUNY New Paltz will travel to SUNY Oswego as the No. 5 nationally ranked Lakers host the men's basketball SUNYAC Tournament for the third-straight season. Oswego has won the last two years and under head coach Jason Leone have claimed six championships in the last 12 seasons. The Lakers knocked out the Hawks the last two seasons, consecutive years at Max Ziel Gymnasium. SUNY New Paltz eyes a re-match against the Lakers, who it almost beat the last time the two faced on Jan. 30. The Hawks held a nine-point lead with six minutes to go, but the Lakers came back to tie at regulation and took the tight one-point win.
 
However, before SUNY New Paltz can look ahead it will have to get through either No. 6 seed Oneonta or No. 3 seed Brockport. The Hawks split their season series against the Golden Eagles, losing their latest game on the road against Brockport Feb. 2, 66-55, and dropped both games against the Red Dragons this season, most recently on Feb. 10 in overtime, 85-77.
 
The quarterfinal round for both the men and women takes place Tuesday. The men await the winner of Oneonta and Brockport, while on the women's side, the Hawks will face the winner of No. 5 seed Oswego and No. 4 Brockport. They own the regular season series against both teams.
 
The men will head to Oswego, NY for the semifinal round Friday with their matchup scheduled for 5:30 p.m., while the women will host their semifinal matchup Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Hawk Center. If either advance, the title game for both sides are scheduled for 4 p.m. inside Max Ziel and the Hawk Center, respectively.

*Following the results of the quarterfinal matchups the Hawks will face the No. 6 seeded Oneonta Red Dragons who upset Brockport, 75-68, while the women will face No. 5 Oswego which also pulled an upset with a 70-47 rout on the road over No. 4 Brockport. 

 

Women's Basketball SUNYAC Championship Info at the Hawk Center:
  • Semifinal Round: 5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m. (Friday, Feb. 23)
  • Championship Game: 4 p.m. (Saturday, Feb. 24)
  • Ticket Prices: $10 adults, $5 children & seniors | FREE for SUNYAC students with I.D.
  • Doors Open at 4:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday.
 
(Click here for the SUNYAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Digital Program)


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