The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team knocked off first place New Paltz tonight 55-54 in overtime to clinch a playoff spot in the SUNYAC tournament, which begins Tuesday night.  The win for Oneonta (13-12/10-8 SUNYAC) earned them the No. 4 seed and a home game for the first round.  Oneonta will not know its opponent until after the completion of games on Saturday, but they will be at home beginning at 7pm.

Despite turning the ball over 31 times, Oneonta made the most of its opportunities at the free throw line, outscoring New Paltz, 21-7.  The big star tonight for Oneonta was junior Alyshia Crawford (Oxford/Oxford), who poured in a game high 18 points.  Crawford also added six rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.  Crawford hit a three-pointer with 1:15 remaining in regulation to tie the score at 45 apiece.

The two teams battled closely all game long, as the largest lead for both squads was five points.  Oneonta's five-point lead came in the first half while New Paltz (22-3/16-2 SUNYAC) gained a five-point lead in the second half.

The Hawks struck first in the extra session when Michelle Valle hit a jumper.  Freshman Bryn Loomis (Norwich/Norwich) gave Oneonta a 48-47 lead when she made three of four from the line when she was fouled on back-to-back possessions.

New Paltz took its last lead of the night on a three-pointer by Shannan Walker, which gave the Hawks a 50-48 advantage.  On the ensuing possession, junior Grace Schilling (Northport/Northport) made a layup and was fouled.  She completed the three-point play to give Oneonta a 51-50 lead with 2:14 remaining in overtime.

New Paltz would tie the score one more time at 51-51 before another layup by Schilling gave the Red Dragons the lead for good.  The Hawks hit a three-pointer as time expired, but it was too late, as Oneonta still had the lead 55-54.  Schilling finished the contest with 11 points that included 5-of-7 from the charity stripe.

SUNYAC tournament pairings will be released sometime tomorrow evening.  This year the tournament will be a six-team bracket for the first time with the top two teams receiving a bye.  New Paltz has already clinched the top spot and will host the semifinals and championship next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23.