NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- The Oneonta women's basketball team dropped their SUNYAC opener on the road to New Paltz, 60-41, Friday evening. Both teams traded baskets in the first quarter, then New Paltz broke open the game and took control in the second quarter. Freshmen
Addy Eckert (Bloomville, N.Y./South Kortright) and
Kayla Beaudoin (Brunswick, N.Y./Tamarac) each finished with the team-high nine points, as Eckert also totaled seven rebounds, while Beaudoin came off the bench and collected four boards. The result moved the Red Dragons to 3-2 this season, 0-1 in the SUNYAC, and the Hawks to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Eckert scored the first basket for Oneonta off an inbound pass from junior
Megan Desrats (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley), then the freshman center drew contact and converted an old-school three-point play to take a 5-4 lead at 4:46. New Paltz regained the lead for a moment before junior
Carlie Young (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville Central) split a couple of defenders for the bucket, and freshman
Tyalia Fret-Thom (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) knocked down a triple from the wing for the Red Dragons to go up 10-6. In the closing minutes, Brianna Fitzgerald recorded a couple of baskets in the paint for the Hawks, while Desrats took her defender to the rim for a layup to maintain the team's lead heading into the second quarter, 12-10.
New Paltz ran away in the second quarter with a 23-6 run to take a 33-18 lead into halftime. Fitzgerald led the Hawks with 10 points in the quarter, and Hannah Vanderzee added six points. Eckert had four points for Oneonta in the quarter, while Beaudoin had two.
The Hawks had a 20-point advantage before Young split a pair at the line, and Fret-Thom drained a corner three to make it a 41-25 deficit at 4:59. Beaudoin scored one from the charity stripe then she drilled a deep two-pointer to pull Oneonta within 15 at 2:29, but New Paltz answered back with a couple layups to enter the fourth quarter ahead 47-28.
The home team built their lead up to 25, 54-29, with 5:25 remaining when Karly Wittenbauer laid it in. Sophomore
Kendall Mack (Cortland, NY/Cortland), junior
Angelena Giuliano (Troy, NY/Catholic Central), and Beaudoin recorded the Red Dragons final points during a 12-6 stretch to end the game.
Young, Fret-Thom, and Mack all finished the game with six points. Young recorded seven rebounds and two assists, while Fret-Thom recorded a pair of three-pointers and steals. Desrats had the team-high eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
Fitzgerald led the Hawks with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Wittenbauer added 15 points, six boards, five assists, and four steals.
Oneonta held a 39-30 rebounding advantage while they shot 23.4 percent from the floor and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. New Paltz shot 39.7 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the line.
The Red Dragons are back in action for a non-conference game on the road against Cobleskill on Monday, December 15, at 4 pm.
