Hawks Hold Off Geneseo at Buzzer

NEW PALTZ, NY- Freshman Alexandra McCullough’s lay-up with two minutes, six seconds remaining gave the Hawks the lead at 46-44 as the Hawks held off the Blue Knights 47-46, Saturday afternoon in the Hawk Center.

Nicole Sarcone and Carly Minehan each scored a game-high 12 points, including 10 rebounds for Minehan and a game-high seven assists for Sarcone. Maliqua Fisher chipped in with seven points and McCullough and Kristen Caban each had six points.

Alyssa Polosky led the Blue Knights with 11 points and seven rebounds. Brittany Finkle, Bri Dunton and Melissa Graham all scored nine points a piece. The Blue Knights fall to 12-9 overall and 8-6 in the league.

The Hawks jumped out to a 5-0 lead on a Minehan lay-up and Caban three-pointer from the corner, but the Blue Knights scored 10 straight to take the lead nine minutes into the game. After the Hawks cut the lead to four, Geneseo went on an 11-4 run to take a 21-10 lead with seven minutes, seven seconds remaining in the half. The Hawks held a slight advantage on second chance points, 7-5, but Geneseo outscored the Hawks 12-6 in the paint.

In the second half, the Hawks scored the first six points of the half on a Farrell free throw and on Sarcone’s three-pointer and lay-up. The Hawks continued to stage a comeback cutting the lead to one at 31-30 on a Minehan lay-up with 13 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the game. McCullough’s jumper gave the Hawks their first lead of the half. Geneseo answered right back with a lay-up by Meghan Prue, but Fisher came right back down the floor with lay-up of her own on a Sarcone assist. The Hawks would build a little momentum up after the lay-up and would hold a three point lead. Geneseo would score six straight on two Dunton lay-ups and a Finkle lay-up. New Paltz stayed strong as Minehan hit two free throws to tie the game at 44-44 with three minutes, 18 seconds remaining. A free throw by Minehan and McCullough’s lay-up gave the Hawks a three-point lead, 47-44 with one minute, 25 seconds remaining. Graham’s jumper at the right elbow pull the Blue Knights within at, but Polosky’s three-pointer at the end came up short as the Hawks held on for the win.