Cortland, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz hopes of a repeat championship run came up just short Saturday, as the Hawks fell in the SUNYAC Final to hosting SUNY Cortland, 68-49.
 
The Hawks finish the season 17-10 overall after concluding their sixth-straight appearance in the SUNYAC Championship. SUNY New Paltz and Cortland have accounted for the last sixth SUNYAC Women's Basketball championship winners, with the Hawks touting the title last season and the Red Dragons falling in the semifinal round. A year later, the Red Dragons claimed the No. 1 seed after splitting the regular season series with the Hawks but took the rubber matchup Saturday to claim its first title since 2022-23, and first for former Hawk and current Red Dragons coach Colleen Ames. 
 
SUNY New Paltz never led at any point in the game, as it started slow looking at an eight-point deficit to begin the first. Abby Korzekwinski broke up the stretch with a pair of free throws with Karly Wittenbauer accounting for the team's first basket, which came with three minutes to go in the period.
 
Cortland saw its first double-digit lead midway through the second quarter, going up 21-11 off a made jumper by Joleen Lusk. Julia Sabatino brought the deficit back down to nine with three minutes left, following a made 3-pointer off a dish by Sierra Carter. The Red Dragons pushed off the make and quickly re-established an 11-point cushion, but Hannah Vanderzee answered with a bucket in the paint to cut the score, 25-16 with two minutes to go in the half. After Cortland went up 11, Madison Mullman connected in the paint in the final seconds of the half to create a 27-18 score heading into the break.
 
SUNY New Paltz couldn't build off the momentum and instead, the Red Dragons took control in the second half with their lead ballooning to as many as 20 in the third quarter. Sabatino scored on a steal and a make on the break to bring the score to 49-31 entering the fourth. All for not, however, as Cortland established a 20-point cushion which it held for the majority of the final 10 minutes to clinch the championship victory.
 
 
Sabatino was the team's leading scorer, finishing with 13 points, while adding a team-high nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in a full 40 minutes played. Her efforts throughout the tournament earned Sabatino an All-Tournament team nod, as the fifth year concluded a career campaign in her final season. Fellow fifth-year senior, Korzekwinski followed with 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes, while another fifth-year, Mullman followed, adding 11 points in 21 minutes off the bench.
 
Joining Sabatino on the All-Tournament team list was Oswego's Giavanna White-Principio, Canton's Kat McRobbie-Taru and Cortland's Brooke Tillotson, Kayla Campbell and MVP Jackie Funk.
 
The Hawks graduate a veteran group who have been staples in the program throughout their time in orange and blue. Sabatino, Korzekwinski, Mullman and senior Morgan Hammell have won 86 games, was a part of two SUNYAC titles and three NCAA appearances, including the program's first undefeated season in the Hawk Center.  


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