ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team fell to New Paltz, 63-53, in SUNYAC play Saturday afternoon. Senior
Jenna Harclerode (Sayville, NY/Sayville) recorded a double-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and added five assists. The Red Dragons moved to 10-13 on the season, 8-8 in the SUNYAC, and the Hawks improved to 20-3 overall and 15-1 in conference.
Before tip-off the Red Dragons recognized and celebrated the careers of their three seniors for Senior Day. Those honored were Harclerode,
Molly Stephens (LaGrange, NY/Arlington), and
Caitlin Mullin (Rockaway Beach, NY/Xaverian).
Harclerode helped record the first eight points for the Red Dragons with a layup and three assists to take an 8-2 lead at 5:59. In the final minute of the first, Harclerode pump faked her defender to create space then drove to the rim for a layup, and Stephens went hard to the basket against her defender to keep Oneonta ahead after one, 14-10.
Sophomore
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) and junior
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) made a couple shots near the rim to put the Red Dragons up 18-12 at 7:32. Jenny Walton and Brianna Fitzgerald went on a 12-0 stretch to give the Hawks a 24-18 lead with 2:43 to go in the half. Harclerode stopped the run with a pair of free throws then junior
Nadia Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) and Zuntag hit a couple jump shots, however Walton recorded five more points to give New Paltz a 29-24 advantage at halftime.
Stephens cut the deficit to three at the start of the second half, but the Hawks extended their lead to 12, 42-30, at 4:41. The Red Dragons cut the lead in half at 2:48 with a couple baskets in the low post from junior
Sophia Wakin (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) and two free throws from Harclerode. Harclerode made it 41-45 with an open drive to the lane, though Abby Korzekwinski got the points back to give the Hawks a six-point edge going into the final quarter.
After Brown scored the first basket of the fourth to pull Oneonta within four, New Paltz built their lead back to 10 with 7:16 to go. Zuntag and Harclerode trimmed the lead to single digits a few times, but the Hawks regained the double-digit advantage on the ensuing possessions. New Paltz extended their lead to as many as 13 until freshman
Carlie Young (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville Central) converted an and-one in the final minute of play for the 63-53 final.
Zuntag finished with 12 points and Stephens ended with 10 points and four assists.
Fitzgerald finished with 24 points and eight rebounds. Walton had 21 points and five boards.
Oneonta shot 38.6 percent from the floor and had a 34-27 rebounding advantage, while New Paltz went 42.9 percent from the field.
The Red Dragons next game is on Friday at Potsdam at 5:30 pm.
