New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz stayed unbeaten to start the year after coming away with a hard fought, 72-65 victory over visiting Ithaca Saturday in the Hawk Center.
The Hawks (3-0 overall) were led by their two-time All-American
Brianna Fitzgerald who posted a career-high 35 points on an efficient 11-for-18 shooting and was a point shy of tying the program's single-game record in the outing.
SUNY New Paltz worked its way back after the Bombers (1-3 overall) took a 24-17 advantage after the first quarter. Fitzgerald and sophomore guard
Sierra Carter were the catalysts in the rally with Carter playing tough defensively to force Ithaca's backcourt into frantic decisions that turned into stops, while offensively, the Watervliet, NY native was aggressive in attacking seems in the paint on her way to buckets underneath.
"We knew coming in it was going to be intense from the start," Fitzgerald said. "This is a great team, and we've got a lot of young girls so it was super exciting to see how we didn't blink. We didn't get scared when the game got down to a tie and I'm really proud of this group. Everyone kept attacking, making little plays and there's still a ton of stuff that we need to do as a team to prepare for opponents in the future, but overall, just a great thing to be a part of. This is one of the reasons and why I wanted to come back to be a part of something like this and be a part of a team that loves to compete and loves to play hard."
Fitzgerald stepped into a 3-pointer in the face of her defender that swished through to cut the score, 27-22 at the start of the second quarter. Carter then swatted away a shot on the ensuing defensive possession, and she eventually won the ball back for the Hawks, getting her hands in the passing lane off the inbound, which led to a fast-break basket on the other end.
Macie Perry got in on the action after another tough defensive stand from the hosts, grabbing the steal and quickly pushing up the floor to Carter who found Fitzgearld running up the court for another quick two in transition to trim the difference to one, diminishing what was an eight-point Ithaca lead in the matter of 60 seconds.
The game remained a one-possession game as the first half waned with SUNY New Paltz staying close, but Ithaca remaining ahead as it took a three-point cushion into the break following a make at the buzzer.
The Hawks came out hot to start the third, as Fitzgerald set the tone immediately with an and-1 on a strong finish at the rim to push her team ahead by two. The Bombers tied the score two minutes later at 39-all following a made jumper, but Fitzgerald netted two more underneath to regain her team's lead, which they never relinquished the rest of the way.
Ithaca tied the score at 53, 57 and 59-all in the fourth quarter, but SUNY New Paltz swung momentum in the last five minutes.
Karly Wittenbauer and Carter each had emphatic blocks on a Bombers position, which turned into a turnover with Perry picking up the board on the loose ball before getting fouled to earn two at the line with the Bombers in the bonus. She missed both, but Wittenbauer was there for the offensive board. Fitzgerald became the benefactor, taking advantage of the extra possession with a make in the paint to push her team ahead, 61-59 with just more than five minutes remaining.
SUNY New Paltz anchored down in the last half of the fourth and allowed just six points on two made baskets, forcing the Bombers to shoot just 2-for-12 in the last six minutes. In turn, the Hawks took advantage of the visitor's foul trouble and continued earning trips to the line where they built upon their cushion. Wittenbauer forced a turnover with 2:30 left and hit Carter running the floor to get the advantage to five before Fitzgerald established an eight-point cushion for the Hawks on another and-1, finishing strong on a drive to the hoop.
The team closed out from there with Fitzgerald scoring two more from the charity stripe to solidify the seven-point win.
Fitzgerald highlighted the afternoon. She led all scorers and posted her fourth 30-point outing of her career — a program most. She also added a team-high eight rebounds, with an assist, a block and three steals. Carter tallied 12 points, five rebounds, an assist, three blocks and a steal, while Wittenbauer registered 12 points, seven boards, two assists, a block and a game-high four steals in the victory.
Kayden Cornell followed with six points on 3-for-3 shooting with two rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.
"It feels awesome," Fitzgerald said following a career performance. "I was a little nervous coming back. I lost some speed and some athleticism due to the knee injury, but I just have the most supportive team and coaches. Coach has always stuck by me and has put full belief in me to go out there and do what I want and make some plays. I always have to credit the team. I don't get those plays if they don't do what they do. It's just so amazing to have such a young group and experience that and help lead them to victories like this and [watching] them experience wins like this for the first time. it really is the best feeling in the world."
Gallery: (11-15-2025) WBB vs Ithaca 11-15 - Gail Comiskey
SUNY New Paltz is back in action next Saturday for its toughest matchup of the season, facing No. 1 nationally ranked NYU. The Hawks are set to face the defending national champion Violets Nov. 22 at John A. Paulson Center at 2 p.m.
"We just need to stick to what we need to do," Fitzgerald added. "We're going to practice hard this week. I'm going to take some free throws every single day. This is a great team, a great program. They haven't lost a game in I think two years, and we are so excited to play. These are the games you live for, going in as an underdog, getting the chance to compete to the fullest ability and hopefully come out with a win. I'm super excited to play them and I love being the underdog because they don't know what's coming."
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