NEW PALTZ, NY — Senior forward Alexzandria Cruse (Poughkeepsie, NY) led SUNY New Paltz with her third double-double of the year, scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, but it was not enough as the Hawks fell to The College of Staten Island 69-66.
After trailing by as many as nine points late in the second half, SUNY New Paltz nailed 3-of-6 three-pointers in the last two minutes to pull within three points. Sophomore guard Toni Marie Caserta (Levittown, NY) pitched in six points in the last thirty seconds of the game. The Dolphins connected on 18-of-28 free throws to boost their offense, while the Hawks forced 16 turnovers.
The two teams traded buckets in the first half before The College of Staten Island(5-3)opened up a 25-16 lead with 4:58 remaining in the first half. SUNY New Paltz (2-5) out rebounded the Dolphins 29-14, including 13 offensive boards, while forcing ten Dolphin turnovers. The College of Staten Island took a 34-29 lead into halftime behind the efforts of junior center Alma Carter (Staten Island, NY). Carter, in limited time, provided the Dolphins with ten points, on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.
The Hawks junior guard Jenny Driscoll (Staten Island, NY) cashed in with seven points and three assists. Senior forward Sandra Glazewski (Dobbs Ferry, NY) netted eight points in only 15 minutes of play for SUNY New Paltz.
Senior guard Kim Thompson (Staten Island, NY) collected a double-double for the College of Staten Island, scoring 19 points and collecting 12 rebounds. Freshman guards Nicole Estrada (Brooklyn, NY) and Melanie D’Ambrosi (Staten Island, NY) chipped in with 13 points and 11 points, respectively.
The SUNY New Paltz women’s basketball team will play their next contest on Thursday, January 5, when they host the Manhattanville College at 5:30 pm.
