BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Graduate student Clara Culeton (Oswego/Oswego) gave the SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team the lead off an and-one with 35 seconds remaining to defeat Brockport 66-65, Saturday afternoon. Culeton and sophomore Nadia Brown (Troy/Troy) scored 14 of the Red Dragons 22 points in the fourth quarter as they improved to 11-4 in the season and 6-2 in SUNYAC while the Golden Eagles dropped to 7-9 overall and 4-5 in the conference.  

Halfway through the first with the score tied at nine, Oneonta closed out the quarter an 8-2 run. Junior Molly Stephens (LaGrange/Arlington) and freshman Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) each hit a three-pointer and Culeton made a layup during the stretch that gave the Red Dragons a six-point lead heading into the second.  

Senior Olivia Dobrovosky (Skaneateles/Skaneateles) made it 19-11, but the Golden Eagles answered and went on a run to tie the game at 24 with 2:39 left in the half. Stephens and Dobrovosky each scored four points in the closing minutes of the half to give Oneonta a 32-31 advantage.  

Brockport opened the second half with a couple baskets to give themselves a three-point lead before Oneonta took it back with a Dobrovosky layup and a three from Brown. After Brown's three, the Golden Eagles went on a 9-1 run where Zairea Hannah scored seven points. Junior Jenna Harclerode (Sayville/Sayville) made a layup with 3:36 left in the third to stop the run and cut the deficit, 40-44. Freshman Lidia Boucher (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central High School) and Stephens each made a layup to close out the quarter but Brockport held onto the lead going into the fourth up 50-44.  

The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 58-49 off a jumper by Hannah with 5:49 remaining, though the Red Dragons closed the gap to within one a minute later. Stephens hit a deep two from the corner then Brown hit a three from the wing, allowing Oneonta to call a timeout. The Red Dragons came out of the timeout in a full court press where graduate student Megan Palmatier (Bainbridge/Bainbridge-Guilford) stole the ball and made it to the free throw line where she split a pair. Maintaining the pressure, Dobrovosky stole the ball on the next possession, passed it to Stephens on the wing who dished it to Brown in the corner to make it 57-58 with 4:45 left. Hannah made a layup for Brockport after Oneonta's stretch, but Dobrovosky and Brown each scored a basket and retook the lead at 2:53. With 55 seconds left, Brown found Hannah to convert an and-one for a 65-63 Brockport lead. On the Red Dragons possession after Hannah's free throw, Palmatier cut to the basket and got double teamed for a second. Once the second defender stepped away, Palmatier passed it to Culeton who drove in and got fouled on a made layup. Culeton converted the three-point play to give Oneonta the 66-65 lead and the defense shut down Brockport on the final possession.  

Stephens led the Red Dragons with 13 points and five assists. Dobrovosky and Brown each had 12 points and four assists, while Culeton ended with 11 points and seven rebounds.  

Hanna finished with 25 points and eight rebounds, and Brown had 10 points and seven rebounds for Brockport.  

The Red Dragons shot 40.3 percent from the field and 22 points from the bench compared to the Golden Eagles 39.1 percent from the field and 2 points from the bench.

Oneonta is back in action Friday when they host Oswego State in Dewar Arena at 5:30 pm. Read Full Article