Women’s Basketball crowned SUNYAC champions, advance to first ever D3 Sweet 16

The SUNY New Paltz women’s basketball team secured the 2017 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year, with a 58-57 victory over SUNY Geneseo on the Knights’ home court.

The win snapped Geneseo’s 26 game winning streak and guaranteed New Paltz a place in the 2017 NCAA Division III national tournament.

UPDATE: With D3 tournament victories on March 3 and March 4, the Hawks have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in the women’s basketball program history. Follow this link to learn more.

“The win today was a credit to our players; they really fought and did not back down,” said head coach Jamie Seward. “We knew we would hit some adversity today and Geneseo would go on a run, but we did not blink and made big plays. I am happy to keep working this season with this team and we are excited for next week.”

The Hawks grabbed a thrilling victory behind strong efforts from sophomore guard Lindsay Bettke, who had 18 points, and senior guard Kit Small, who contributed six rebounds and four assists. Bettke took home the Tournament MVP award, and joined Small on the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.

Read more about the New Paltz Women’s Basketball team’s 2017 SUNYAC championship.