CORTLAND, NY — The SUNY New Paltz women’s basketball team lost in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship Tournament quarterfinals to, top seeded, Cortland by a final of 66-51 this evening.
Down 22 points at halftime, SUNY New Paltz (10-16, 4-13) forced their way back into the affair with a 32-point second half. Junior guard Kerri Kelty (Valley Stream, NY) led all scorers with a season-high 17 points, ten coming in the opening half. Junior guard Kristin Jackson (East Islip, NY) and sophomore forward Amber Sohns (Delhi, NY) helped Kelty bring the Hawks alive in the second half. Jackson totaled nine points, four rebounds and three steals, while Sohns added six points, eight boards and two blocks.
The Red Dragons had two players finish in double figures. Senior guard Dani Maye (Kirkwood, NY) registered 11 points, as junior forward Erin Dabe (Selden, NY) scored ten points for Cortland (22-3, 16-1). Sophomore forward Sara Cavanaugh (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY) collected 11 rebounds on the night.
SUNY New Paltz earned the eighth seed following an Oneonta defeat of Plattsburgh on February 18. The Hawks controlled the head-to-head advantage over Plattsburgh as a result of a 48-42 victory over the Cardinals on February 17. This was the SUNY New Paltz women’s basketball team’s second appearance in three years at the SUNYAC Championship Tournament.
