New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz opened up its 2025-26 campaign Friday night in the Hawk Center, hosting Mount Saint Mary College and captured a comfortable, 67-44 victory.
 
Senior forward Karly Wittenbauer led the way as she finished with a career-high 19 points on 8-for-19 shooting with a team-high four steals and four assists to go along with two rebounds. Deanna Barry also highlighted the night, as the freshman's debut was electric from behind the arc, as her touch from the perimeter helped her finish with 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range in her collegiate debut. Graduate forward Brianna Fitzgerald followed, as she was efficient in her first game in more than a year after missing all of the 2024-25 season due to a knee injury. Fitzgerald recorded 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting, while adding seven rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes of action.
 
The Hawks shot efficiently throughout the game, finishing nearly 50 percent from the field with 19 of 28 of their baskets assisted on. They tallied 32 of their points in the paint, while registering 20 points off of their 22 caused turnovers in the match.
 
SUNY New Paltz never trailed at any point in the game as it took an 18-11 lead at the end of the first quarter after sisters Macie and Summer Perry scored consecutive baskets to aid in the six-point advantage.  
The Hawks built off the momentum and quickly created a double-digit cushion thanks to a Wittenbauer and-1 to open up the second period. SUNY New Paltz maintained the double figure lead for the rest of the half, as Wittenbauer fittingly bookended the quarter with a buzzer-beater jumper to extend the lead to 39-25 at halftime.
 
Fitzgerald brought the cushion to 19 on an and-1 with a tough finish at the rim with five minutes to go in the third quarter. The Knights worked the difference to 15 with just more than a minute to go in the period, but Wittenbauer pushed the advantage back to 18 entering the fourth with a made 3-pointer in the final seconds.
 
Summer Perry gave the Hawks their largest lead at 67-42 following a steal by Kayden Cornell led to a dish by Kamryn Hoyt to Perry with less than a minute to go. Mount Saint Mary College made one last bucket in the paint in the final 20 seconds to finalize the 67-44 outcome.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns to the Hawk Center Wednesday for its next game against Vassar College at 6 p.m.


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