Posted: Mar 01, 2013
The 2012-13 season may be over for the Hawks, but it does not end without many accomplishments to remember it by. The Hawks were crowned State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) champions for the first-time, as they defeated SUNY Geneseo on Saturday, Feb. 23, in the SUNYAC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament final, which was held at the Hawk Center. The Hawks also set a new program record with 24 wins this season.
The Beavers led from the opening minute and never surrendered the edge in Friday’s NCAA Tournament matchup. The five-time reigning New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) champions led by as many as nine points in the opening half before taking an eight-point advantage into the locker room.
Known as a second-half team this season, the Hawks came out of the intermission scoring the first points of the second stanza on a layup by senior guard Maliqua Fisher (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon). However, Babson followed with a 6-0 run to keep the Hawks in check and take a 12-point lead. A three-pointer by junior guard Alyssa Gratien (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) cut the deficit to single digits, but the Beavers kept grinding and eventually took a 14-point lead at the 10:38 mark. Both teams traded baskets for much of the remaining minutes, with Babson clinging to a 16-point edge at the final buzzer to move the 16th-ranked Beavers into the tournament’s second round for the fourth consecutive season.
Freshman forward Michelle Valle (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science/Mathematics) led the Hawks with 10 points and five steals in Friday’s loss. Senior forward Alex McCullough (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) picked up a team-high 11 rebounds, as well as three blocked shots to extend her program record to 158. Fisher contributed eight points, while freshman guard Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) netted five points, grabbed six boards and dished out three assists.
NEWMAC Player of the Year Sarah Collins fell just short of her second-career triple-double, as she scored 18 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked eight shots. Three other Beavers finished in double-digits, as Kristen Ferola scored 12, Megan Otto had 11 and Alicia Wilde added 10. NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Linnett Graber handed out a game-high six assists.
The Hawks were outshot from the field, 46.3 percent (25-of-54) to 27.4 percent (17-of-62). New Paltz was better on the boards, pulling down 40 rebounds to Babson’s 37. Babson’s size proved to be a big advantage for the Beavers, as they outscored New Paltz in the paint, 42-20.
With the victory, Babson moves on to play host Tufts University in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. tomorrow, March 2, from Cousens Gym.
The Hawks graduate three seniors from this year’s squad. McCullough, Fisher and guard Kahsyrah Bryant finish their careers in the Blue and Orange as the seniors and captains of the first SUNYAC championship team in New Paltz women’s basketball’s history. McCullough earned First-Team All-SUNYAC honors this season, while Fisher landed on the All-SUNYAC Second Team. Fisher was also named the SUNYAC Tournament MVP, while McCullough and Valle found themselves on the All-Tournament team. In earning his first-ever SUNYAC title, head coach Jamie Seward earned this year’s SUNYAC Coach of the Year award.
