ITHACA, N.Y. – After winning its second-consecutive SUNYAC title with Saturday's 58-57 victory over No. 16 SUNY Geneseo, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team earned the league's automatic bid into the 2017 NCAA Division III Tournament and will play Bowdoin on Friday at Ithaca College in Glazer Arena.

The Hawks (18-8) take on the Polar Bears (21-4), who were an at-large bid after falling to Tufts in the NESCAC Semifinals. The game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, March 3. This will mark the first-ever meeting between these two programs. 

Ithaca (24-3) will host Rochester Institute of Technology (19-8) in the other first-round game as the Bombers earned the right to host the opening round contests. Ithaca won the Empire 8 title while the Tigers enjoyed their first-ever Liberty League crown.

Earlier this season, New Paltz fell at Ithaca 78-50 on Jan. 10. The Hawks and Tigers have never played each other.