New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz battled to a 60-58 win over Oswego Tuesday night in the Hawk Center in a tight contest between the two sides to start the 2026 New Year.
 
The Hawks were without coach Jamie Seward on the bench, forced to sit out due to technicals amassed through the first eight contests. His group rallied around the challenge with Fitzgerald shouldering the load as the sixth year had another impressive outing to carry her team to their fifth-straight win.
 
SUNY New Paltz trailed for most of the first half until Fitzgerald pushed her team ahead by two, finishing strong through the lane. The Lakers answered with a quick bucket on the other end to knot the score at 18-all midway through the second quarter, but the Hawks ended the half strong as they found success inside. Hannah Vanderzee earned a trip to the foul line, getting hit underneath before making both on the ensuing attempts from the line. Macie Perry also earned a trip to the charity stripe where she made 1-of-2 to push the lead to 21-18 with about two minutes left.
 
Karly Wittenbauer then got her hands on a steal before getting hit on the break to also shoot two from the foul line, making 1-of-2. Oswego answered next time down the floor, but Fitzgerald connected on a 3-pointer on SUNY New Paltz's final possession of the half to bring the difference to five. The Lakers took advantage of the waning seconds however, hitting at the buzzer to trim the score 25-23 at the break.  
The Hawks came out hot to start the second half, anchored by their defense which forced four Oswego turnovers and three straight missed baskets in the first four minutes of the third, which aided in a 9-0 SUNY New Paltz run that gave the hosts its largest lead at 34-23, capped by a steal from Vanderzee that resulted in a fastbreak bucket by Wittenbauer.
 
The Lakers subbed in former Hawk Semaiah Williams into the game and the seventh year provided a spark throughout her 16 second-half minutes off the bench by her prowess on the boards, while also making some timely baskets on her former home court. Williams hit on a jumper to end the quarter to cut the score to 43-36 going into the fourth, which helped pull some momentum toward Oswego.
 
After leading for the majority of the second half, the Lakers worked their way back to re-take the lead midway through the fourth. A 9-2 run propelled the rally with the visitors pulling down 10 rebounds in the five-minute stretch including four on the offensive glass. Williams capped the stretch sinking on a high-arcing 3-point attempt to get Oswego in front, 49-48.
 
However, Fitzgerald and fellow graduating senior Karly Wittenbauer stepped up to take control of the game for the Hawks. Wittenbauer knotted the score at 51-all, drilling a triple off an assist from Fitzgerald with just less than four minutes to go. Wittenbauer repaid the favor, becoming the beneficiary on a made basket underneath by Fitzgerald two minutes later to tie the score again at 53-53. Fitzgerald went back to Wittenbauer behind the arc on their next offensive set and the New Jersey native hit on another 3-pointer to push her team ahead, 56-55.
 
After the Lakers tied the game at 56, Fitzgerald got to the foul line and made both to give her team the lead, but Williams came up clutch on another make on a mid-ranged jumper to knot the score at 58-all. With six seconds left, Fitzgerald had the ball in her hands, crossed up her defender and attacked the basket, finishing strong for the go-ahead bucket.
 
Oswego immediately called a timeout to draw up a play with the final possession and earned an open look going to the basket, but the layup was off the mark, finalizing the Hawks win.
 
Fitzgerald and Wittenbauer played the full 40 minutes, while Vanderzee totaled 38 minutes on the court with the three leading the way, all in double-digit scoring. Fitzgerald was the catalyst, leading all scorers with 29 points — a point shy of her program-most fifth 30-point outing. She shot an efficient 50 percent from the floor, going 11-for-22 from the field and 6-for-8 from the foul line with a team-leading eight rebounds, two assists, a block and three steals. Wittenbauer followed with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and game-high five steals. Vanderzee totaled 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting with seven rebounds, a game-high five assists, two blocks and a steal.
 
SUNY New Paltz improved to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the SUNYAC with the victory, while the Lakers dropped to 3-6 and 1-2, respectively. The Hawks are back in action this weekend where they go on the road to face defending SUNYAC Champions SUNY Cortland Friday and SUNY Morrisville Saturday.


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