The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team was nipped today at home by SUNY New Paltz 61-60.  New Paltz senior Kit Small made a pair of free throws with six seconds left to break a 59 all tie and Oneonta freshman Leanne Corso (Commack/Commack) was only able to make 1-of-2 free throws with .08 left on the clock.
 
After the two teams combined for 83 points in the opening two periods, the defensive intensity increased which caused the shooting percentages to decrease.  Oneonta (7-7, 4-3 SUNYAC) shot 53 percent (17-32) in the first half while New Paltz shot 45 percent (15-33), as the Red Dragons took a slim 42-41 lead into the intermission.
 
An 8-0 run in the first period allowed the Hawks to open up a 13-4 lead on Oneonta before they came storming back to trail only 18-14 at the end of the opening ten minutes.
 
Towards the end of the second period, the Red Dragons scored eight unanswered points capped by a four-point play by junior Samantha Lisikatos (Cold Spring/Haldane) to give Oneonta a 37-35 lead.  Lisikatos came off the bench to score nine points in the period.
 
Lindsay Bettke was fouled at the end of the period on the three-point attempt and made all three.  The three points would be the catalyst for 13 straight for the Hawks, who came out of the break with 10 unanswered to grab a 51-42 lead with 4:30 left in the third period.
 
After being held scoreless for the first half of the third period, Oneonta scraped its way back with the final six points of the period while holding New Paltz scoreless over the final four minutes.
 
A pair of free throws by sophomore Madeline Frank (Syracuse/Jamesville-Dewitt) to start the fourth period brought Oneonta back to within a point at 51-50.
 
An old fashioned three-point play by sophomore Teresa Anken (Rome/Rome Free Academy) and a jumper by Corso gave Oneonta a 55-53 lead at the six-minute mark of the final period.
 
Small hit a jumper with 1:23 remaining to tie the game for the last time at 59 apiece.  Small led all scorers in the game with 20 points.
 
Senior Cara Adams (Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) led Oneonta today with 17 points.  Corso added 14 points while Lisikatos contributed 10 points.
 
Oneonta will be back in action at home on Tuesday night when they host rival Cortland beginning at 7:30pm.  Oneonta defeated Cortland last weekend at their place 59-47.