Box Score Box Score

GENESEO, N.Y.—Despite having three players in double figures today, the SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team fell short in the SUNYAC championship game against Geneseo, 55-48. The Red Dragons are 21-7 overall and will wait until 3:00 p.m. on Monday to find out if they will be selected as a pool C team for this year's NCAA tournament when the 64-team field is announced.

Oneonta was making its fifth championship game appearance today and their first since 2004. They were hoping to capture their third conference title and first since 2001.

Oneonta trailed at halftime 24-22, but scored the first six points of the second half to regain the lead for the first time since the midway point of the first half. Junior Samantha Szkotak (New York Mills, New York Mills) hit back-to-back jumpers on successive trips and then senior Mary Kate O'Connell (Altamont, Guilderland) added a bucket to give the Red Dragons a 28-24 lead.

Geneseo battled back to tie the score at 30 apiece before senior Erika Puffer (Unadilla, Unatego) made a layup and classmate Rebecca Bucci (Marlboro, Our Lady of Lourdes) buried a three to put Oneonta ahead again 35-30.

With 10 minutes to go in the game, the Red Dragons had a 36-35 lead before a basket by Khadija Campbell put the Blue Knights ahead to stay. An 8-1 spurt by Geneseo over a four minute stretch gave them its largest lead of the game at six points.

Oneonta continued to battle back and got as close as 50-48 with 1:13 to go on a layup by Puffer, but that's as close as the Red Dragons would get the rest of the way.

Down the stretch, Geneseo made enough free throws and capitalized on some offensive rebounds that earned them extra possessions. The Blue Knights held a decided advantage on the boards today, 41-25, including 13-6 off the offensive glass. They also made 20-of-29 free throws to Oneonta's 8-of-11.

Szkotak and O'Connell each finished the game with 12 points while Bucci added 11 points.  Both Szkotak and Bucci were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Geneseo was led by Bri Dunton and Brittany Finkle, who both scored a game high 14 points.

The first half saw four ties and two lead changes as both teams tried to settle into a rhythm. Geneseo led early 6-2 before ten unanswered points by Oneonta gave them a 12-6 lead. Back-to-back three-point field goals by Szkotak and Bucci gave the Red Dragons its largest lead of the first half.

Geneseo came back to tie the score at 12 apiece before Oneonta went back ahead 17-12 with 7:20 to go in the opening half. The hosts then put together a 12-2 run to go back ahead 24-19 before an old fashioned three-point play by sophomore Gabi Regan (Troy, Columbia) closed the gap back to 24-22. That's where the score would stay as the two teams entered the break.

Newspaper Box Score
GENESEO BLUE KNIGHTS 55, ONEONTA STATE 48

ONEONTA STATE (21-7)
O'CONNELL, Mary Kate 5-10 2-3 12; SZKOTAK, Samantha 4-14 2-2 12; BUCCI, Rebecca 4-6 1-1 11; PUFFER, Erika 2-5 2-4 6; REGAN, Gabi 1-6 1-1 3; SCHILLING, Grace 1-2 0-0 2; PAPPALARDO, Kristin 1-2 0-0 2; SLAGLE, Madison 0-5 0-0 0; MULLIGAN, Kelly 0-0 0-0 0; WILVERDING, Kate 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 18-52 8-11 48.

GENESEO BLUE KNIGHTS (25-3)
FINKLE, Brittany 5-6 3-4 14; DUNTON, Bri 3-11 7-10 14; CAMPBELL, Khadija 3-9 3-4 9; GRAHAM, Melissa 3-9 1-2 8; POLOSKY, Alyssa 1-4 4-7 6; CHARBONNEAU, Katelyn 1-2 0-0 2; PRUE, Meghan 0-0 2-2 2; SOBIERASKI, Lea 0-0 0-0 0; LOUGHLIN, Melissa 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-41 20-29 55.

3-point goals--Oneonta State 4-16 (SZKOTAK, Samantha 2-4; BUCCI, Rebecca 2-4; REGAN, Gabi 0-2; PAPPALARDO, Kristin 0-1; SLAGLE, Madison 0-2; WILVERDING, Kate 0-2; O'CONNELL, Mary Kate 0-1), Geneseo Blue Knights 3-12 (GRAHAM, Melissa 1-2; DUNTON, Bri 1-4; FINKLE, Brittany 1-1; CHARBONNEAU, Katelyn 0-1; POLOSKY, Alyssa 0-2; CAMPBELL, Khadija 0-2).

Fouled out--Oneonta State-SZKOTAK, Samantha, Geneseo Blue Knights-None.

Rebounds--Oneonta State 25 (BUCCI, Rebecca 5), Geneseo Blue Knights 41 (CAMPBELL, Khadija 8).
Assists--Oneonta State 13 (O'CONNELL, Mary Kate 4), Geneseo Blue Knights 8 (FINKLE, Brittany 4).

Total fouls--Oneonta State 19, Geneseo Blue Knights 9.

Technical fouls--Oneonta State-None, Geneseo Blue Knights-None.

A-700