Cortland, NY – From the opening tip, the State University of New York at New Paltz came out with high-intensity defense, setting the tone for a relentless battle against No. 3 seeded Oswego in the SUNYAC semifinals. The Hawks overcame an early deficit to dominate the second half, securing their place in the championship game with a commanding performance with a 66-58 win.

"Going into today's game definitely felt a lot different than those in the past. Being a senior there's just a different type of urgency going into a game where it could be your last. However with this group I was confident walking in today." said senior guard Julia Sabatino with a lights out performance. 

The game started with an electric defensive effort as Abby Korzekwinski made an emphatic block on Oswego's first possession, immediately shifting the momentum. She followed up with a rebound and aggressive drive to the hoop, drawing a foul to put the Hawks on the line. However, the Lakers responded with an early surge, jumping out to a 5-0 lead after a 3-pointer at the 6:57 mark. SUNY New Paltz struggled to find its rhythm offensively until Korzekwinski broke the silence with a pump fake and hard drive to the rim, igniting the Hawks' scoring. 

Despite its struggles, SUNY New Paltz remained scrappy, pushing the pace offensively and applying high-pressure defense. Oswego extended its run to 7-0 before a timeout at 4:12. The Lakers continued to press, taking a 14-2 lead after an and-one conversion by Shania Iglesias with 2:15 left in the first quarter. The Hawks finally shifted the tone with a charge caused by Iglesias, leading to an open jumper from Karly Wittenbauer to break the silence at 1:33. Wittenbauer continued to spark the Hawks, drawing a foul in the paint and sinking both free throws, followed by a floater off a quick turnover to cut the deficit to 14-8 heading into the second quarter.
 

SUNY New Paltz came out in the second with relentless defensive intensity, forcing a travel on Oswego and preventing them from settling into their offense. Korzekwinski attacked the basket to start the scoring, and Sabatino hustled for a gritty defensive rebound, drawing a foul to regain possession. Vanderzee's steal and coast-to-coast finger roll layup brought the Hawks within two. The momentum kept swinging in SUNY New Paltz's favor as Korzekwinski finished a layup in transition off a feed from Vanderzee, tying the game and forcing Oswego into a timeout with 7:26 left in the half.
Oswego managed a quick layup to retake the lead, but Sabatino answered with a massive 3-pointer, giving the Hawks their first lead of the game at 5:24. The teams traded points at the free-throw line before Madison Mullman drilled a three-pointer off a Sabatino assist with 3:24 left, reclaiming the lead for SUNY New Paltz. Mullman continued her hot streak, hitting another 3 off her own defensive rebound to push the Hawks ahead 23-19. Sabatino closed the quarter with another key defensive board and assisted Mullman on her third consecutive three-pointer, propelling SUNY New Paltz into halftime after an explosive second quarter in which it allowed only four points.
Oswego opened the third quarter with a layup, but Korzekwinski immediately answered with one of her own, maintaining the Hawks' momentum. Carter forced a turnover, leading to a 3-on-1 break that Vanderzee finished with a layup. Oswego kept fighting, cutting the gap to five at the 4:15 mark, prompting a SUNY New Paltz timeout. Out of the break, Sabatino knocked down a free throw, followed by quick ball movement leading to a Wittenbauer layup from Carter. Wittenbauer then stepped up on defense, snagging a steal and dishing to Carter for a  three-pointer. The Hawks extended their lead with a jumper from Sabatino and a layup from Mullman, heading into the fourth quarter with a 46-39 advantage.

Oswego started the final period with a jump shot, but Vanderzee responded with a contested bucket inside. Mullman added to the lead with a banked shot from the block. The Lakers continued to battle, narrowing the gap to five with 5:36 left, then cutting it to just two following an-and-one conversion. However, Sabatino stepped up once again, drilling a clutch 3-pointer to halt Oswego's momentum. She followed it with another deep three to push the lead back to six with under five minutes remaining. Her defensive intensity continued to shine as she made a critical steal, leading to Korzekwinki drawing a foul and sinking both free throws after a media timeout.

"After hitting the first 3 my shot was feeling really good and once I got it back in the same spot I knew I had the fire sale. After hitting that second one the momentum of the game shifted and I knew we were going to win." said Julia Sabatino in response to her clutch sequence of events.

Mullman extended the lead to 60-52 with a drive inside off a Sabatino setup with 2:55 left. Both teams exchanged baskets in the closing minutes, but SUNY New Paltz played smart, controlling possession and taking high-percentage shots. Off an inbound play, Sabatino came up with yet another steal, converting a layup to further secure the win. She followed up with another defensive stop, drawing a foul and icing the game from the free-throw line with 1:18 left.
Oswego resorted to sending the Hawks to the line in a last-ditch effort, but Carter calmly secured two free throws to push the lead even further. SUNY New Paltz took advantage of its bonus opportunities, closing out the game with efficiency from the stripe. After an Oswego timeout with 16 seconds left, the Hawks played suffocating perimeter defense, preventing any last-second heroics from the Lakers. 

Sabatino played the full 40 minutes and finished with a team-high 15 points and eight assists, while adding seven rebounds, two blocks and four steals. Korzkewinski registered a double-double on 12 points and 11 boards. Mullman matched Sabatino's team-high with 15 points in 23 minutes off the bench, while Wittenbauer contributed 10 points in 12 minutes off the bench.

With the dominant performance, SUNY New Paltz advances to the SUNYAC Championship game, shooting for another consecutive conference title. It will face No. 1 seeded Cortland, who defeated No. 4 Canton in the other semifinal matchup. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. at the Whitney T. Corey '43 Gymnasium, where both teams go head to head for the SUNYAC title and an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. 


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