ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta women's basketball team dropped their final game of the regular season to New Paltz, 58-48, Saturday afternoon. In a defensive SUNYAC battle, New Paltz entered halftime with a narrow three-point lead then built it up to double-digits after the third to hold on to the win. Freshman
Nai Torres (Putnam Valley, NY/Putnam Valley) shot 4-for-9 from the floor and led Oneonta with 12 points and two steals.
The Red Dragons finished the season 11-14 overall, 8-10 in conference play, and the Hawks ended the season 16-9 and 15-3 in the SUNYAC. Oneonta clinched the six seed in the SUNYAC tournament and will travel to face the three seeded Oswego on Tuesday, February 25.
New Paltz built a six-point advantage in the first quarter then senior
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) split a pair at the free throw line then junior
Lidia Boucher (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central High School) laid it in to cut the deficit to 6-9 at 2:44. Julia Sabatino scored the Hawks' final five points to put them up 14-8 after one.
The Red Dragons powered an 8-0 run to tie the game at 18 with 4:06 to play in the half. Torres and senior
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) each knocked in a triple during the stretch and sophomore
Megan Desrats (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) made a layup. New Paltz entered halftime with a 21-18 lead after a three-pointer from Abby Korzekwinski.
Oneonta got to within one at 7:47 in the third with a jump shot from senior
Nadia Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) and a bucket down low from Zuntag, however New Paltz ended the quarter with an 18-5 run for a 41-27 lead. The Hawks were up 17 until the Red Dragons had a 7-0 stretch to get it to 48-38 with 4:25 left. Senior
Molly Coyne (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) started the run with a bucket in the paint, Schwarzbeck made a pair at the line, then Torres converted an and-one. Oneonta made it a single-digit game with a layup from Torres with 49 seconds remaining, but New Paltz used the free throw line for the 10-point final.
Schwarzbeck and Zuntag each recorded nine points, seven rebounds and two assists. New Paltz was led by Sabatino with 14 points and 15 rebounds, Hannah Vanderzee added 14 points and two blocks.
The Red Dragons shot 27.3 percent from the floor and had a 46-43 rebounding advantage. The Hawks shot 32.3 percent from the field and made six three-pointers to the Red Dragons' two.
