SUNY New Paltz Women’s Basketball Team Falls to Mt. Saint Mary, 57-44

NEWBURGH, NY — Stacy Schultz connected on 8 of 9 shots and scored a game-high 16 points to lead 23rd ranked Mount Saint Mary to a 57-44 victory over New Paltz in the championship game of the Mount Saint Mary Tip-Off Tournament.

After trailing 4-1, Mount Saint Mary (2-0) took a 5-4 edge on a basket by Nneka Cruse and wouldn’t relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game. Cruse finished the game with nine points, five rebounds, and four steals.

New Paltz (1-1) kept the game close as sophomore Tania Liberato (Brentwood, NY) and freshman Sandra Glazewski (Dobbs Ferry, NY) each scored four points in the first half as the Hawks trailed by just six, 25-19, at halftime.

In the second half, Mount Saint Mary extended its lead to 13 points at 33-20 with 14:35 remaining. The Hawks responded by scoring the next five points on a pair of free throws by senior Lindsay Dakin (Andover, CT) and a three-pointer by junior Kim Weigel (Whitestone, NY) to trim the deficit to 33-25 but they wouldn’t get any closer.

Oneisha Staples had 15 points and six steals for the Blue Knights who shot just under 48 percent in the second half. Freshman Kelly Germain (Albany, NY) led the Hawks with eight points and four assists.

New Paltz returns to action on Tuesday, November 25th when they travel to Purchase and play Manhattanville. The tip-off is set for 7:00 pm.