ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta women's basketball team was defeated by New Paltz in SUNYAC play, 69-56, Saturday afternoon. The Red Dragons erased a 27-point halftime deficit and made it a three-point game with 4:25 remaining, however the Hawks sealed the game with a late run. Senior
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) shot 6-for-11 from the floor and recorded her third double-double of the season with the game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore
Megan Desrats (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) finished with a career-high 16 points, five rebounds and four assists. Oneonta moved to 5-7 on the season, 2-3 in the SUNYAC, while New Paltz improved to 5-6 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Desrats assisted sophomore
Carlie Young (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville Central) on the opening basket then drove into the paint for a couple layups to give the Red Dragons a 6-2 edge at 7:35. The Hawks gained the lead for a moment off a couple three-pointers, but senior
Molly Coyne (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) knocked down a pair at the line and Zuntag scored in the final seconds for a 10-10 game heading into the second.
New Paltz went on a 27-4 run in the second quarter to go up 37-14. Hannah Vanderzee scored 11 points for the Hawks during the stretch and Olivia Ventre had 10. Coyne hit a midrange jumper for the Red Dragons in the quarter and Desrats made two from the line.
Oneonta scored 13 unanswered points to start the third quarter and made it 37-27 at 6:35. Zuntag knocked down the first couple baskets of the run, junior
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) and Young each drilled a three-pointer, then Desrats converted an and-one. The Hawks made it 42-27, however the Red Dragons closed out the quarter with an 8-3 stretch to turn it back into a 10-point game, 45-35.
The Oneonta starting five kept chipping away at the lead and made it a three-point deficit, 56-53, with a Desrats triple from the wing with 4:25 to play. Unfortunately, New Paltz held on to the lead and ended the game with a 13-3 run. Julia Sabatino scored the final eight points for the Hawks.
Schwarzbeck finished with eight points and four rebounds, and Coyne had six points and five boards off the bench. Four players finished in double figures for New Paltz, Vanterzee co-led the game with Zuntag with 17 points and Sabatino had 14 points.
Oneonta shot 35.8 percent from the field and held a 36-31 rebounding advantage, while New Paltz shot 41.8 percent from the floor.
The Red Dragons are back in action on Friday, January 17, for a SUNYAC contest against Morrisville in Dewar Arena at 5:30 pm.
