Cortland, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz won its 11th-straight game after earning a series sweep of Buffalo State Tuesday on the campus of SUNY Cortland, 69-41.
The Hawks (19-3 overall, 11-2 SUNYAC) had balanced scoring with three players in double-figures and eight players scoring at least five points, while on the defensive side, they held the Bengals without a scorer with more than eight points. The 41 points given up was the lowest on the season for SUNY New Paltz who kept Buffalo State to just 14 made baskets on 28 percent shooting from the field.
Getting out to a 16-point lead in the first quarter, the Hawks never withheld their hefty double-digit cushion the rest of the way.
Brianna Fitzgerald pushed the difference to 17 in the last two minutes of the second half, taking advantage of a steal by
Morgan Hammell who pushed up the floor to Fitzgerald for an easy two. The Bengals answered with a steal and a shot at the buzzer to bring the score down to 34-19 entering the second half.
SUNY New Paltz got its lead up to as many as 30 late in the fourth quarter, first following an offensive board, which led to a triple by Hammell and then again with a minute left on a make from the mid-ranged by
Erin Cooney.
Fitzgerald led all scorers with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting with five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Hammell registered 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Gabby Palladino followed with a career-high 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting with two rebounds and a block.
The win also marked career win number 88 for the graduate student, who became the program's all-time winningest player with the victory. Over the course of her four seasons, Palladino has touted two SUNYAC Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances with the Hawks primed to make another conference championship and national tournament run as they start down the stretch of their 2023-24 campaign.
"I am so happy for Gabby," said SUNY New Paltz coach
Jamie Seward. "She is so deserving of that record. She's been the consummate teammate for five years, and what more important team record is there than the most wins. And, to top it off by scoring a career-high on the day she gets the record, it's just perfect."
Palladino will look to put more wins on her career record as she and the Hawks wrap up their regular season schedule on the road with games at Oneonta, Plattsburgh and Potsdam. One more and the team will notch its eighth 20-plus win season, including its fifth straight. They'll have that opportunity Saturday against the Red Dragons. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m
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