Another comeback win for the SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team today at New Paltz.  The Red Dragons overcame a six-point deficit entering the fourth quarter and held on to defeat the Hawks 54-52.  Rachel Simon had one last look for the Hawks, but her three-pointer came off the rim as time expired.
 
The win for Oneonta pushed them to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the SUNYAC while the loss for the defending SUNYAC champs dropped them to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
 
A 10-0 run by the Red Dragons to open the fourth quarter gave them a 46-42 lead.  Sophomore Alexa Amalbert (Nanuet/Nanuet) scored half the points including a three to cap the run at 7:44. Four straight points by the Hawks tied the game before junior Teresa Anken (Rome/Rome Free Academy) made a trey to put Oneonta ahead once again.  Anken and Amalbert paced the Red Dragons today with 13 and 12 points respectively.
 
An old fashioned three-point play by Lindsay Bettke tied the game at 49 apiece with 4:01 remaining in the game.  The score was tied one last time at 51 apiece when Madison Van Pelt made a layup.  On its next trip down the floor, Anken buried a three to put the Red Dragons ahead to stay at the 2:01 mark.
 
A layup by Van Pelt got things started for New Paltz on its opening possession of the contest.  Oneonta grabbed its first lead of the game at 3-2 when sophomore Leanne Corso (Commack/Commack) buried a three before the Hawks bounced back on its next possession on a bucket by Van Pelt.
 
The Red Dragons assumed control with six unanswered points as part of a 13-5 closing run to end the first quarter.  Anken and Amalbert combined for nine of the 13 points.
 
Oneonta did not surrender its lead heading into halftime despite a strong quarter from the Hawks.  The hosts cut into Oneonta's lead throughout the quarter and got to within a bucket at 25-23 at the break.  Van Pelt led the Hawks in the quarter with six points.
 
Oneonta continued to lead, opening up a six-point advantage early in the third quarter on baskets by sophomore Olivia Allrich (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) and senior Samantha Lisikatos (Cold Spring/Haldane).  New Paltz countered with five unanswered before Oneonta came right back with back-to-back baskets to maintain a five-point lead at the 4:44 mark.
 
A three-pointer Bettke at the buzzer capped a 14-3 burst by the Hawks to end the quarter and grab a 42-36 lead entering the final quarter.
 
Oneonta will now have 11 days off before heading south to participate in the St. Petersburg Tournament in Florida.  The Red Dragons will face Chatham University on Dec. 20 before facing DePauw University the next day.