The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team wasted no time in jumping on host New Paltz enroute to a 63-53 victory in SUNYAC women's action tonight.  The Red Dragons scored the game's first 17 points and shot 52 percent in the opening half, as the led from start to finish.
 
Senior Lyteshia Price (Liverpool/Liverpool) recorded her second straight double-double with a game high 16 points to go with 12 rebounds.  For Price, it was the third straight contest that she reached double digit rebounds.  Price scored eight of the 17 points that Oneonta (9-4/5-1 SUNYAC) put up to start the game.  The Red Dragons hit seven of its first nine shots in building its lead.
 
Sophomore Samantha Lisikatos (Cold Spring/Haldane) contributed a season high 14 points while senior Bryn Loomis (Norwich/Norwich) added 11 points.  In her fourth straight start, sophomore Sara DiPasquale (Buffalo, NY/Cardinal O'Hara) grabbed a career high 10 boards.
 
After leading 19-7 at the end of the first quarter, New Paltz (9-4/4-2 SUNYAC) battled back a bit in the second quarter to trail only by 10 points at halftime 33-23.  The Hawks made only 8-of-40 shots in the opening half including only 2-of-14 from behind the arc.  Courtney Irby led New Paltz with seven points and finished with 13 points to go with a game high 18 rebounds.
 
Oneonta increased its lead to 13 points entering the fourth quarter before the hosts made a final push midway through the final period.  A three-pointer by Morgan Roessler at 1:23 remaining cut Oneonta's lead to 57-53.  For the Hawks, this would be their final basket of the game, as Price (4-4) and Lisikatos (2-2) would not miss from the line down the stretch.
 
Oneonta will have a week to prepare for its next game, which will be home next Friday night against Buffalo State.  Tipoff will be at 5:30pm in the Alumni Field House Dewar Arena.