New Paltz Sports Information Department
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — The State University of New York at New Paltz battled back from a 10-point deficit to then see its 10-point lead dwindle in the NCAA Second Round Tournament game Saturday in the Hawk Center.The Hawks battled back in the second half and played their signature high-pressure defense, causing steals, drawing charges and jumping on loose balls to help re-gain momentum in the second half. But, it wasn't enough against visiting Smith College, as the Pioneers made enough shots down the stretch to knock SUNY New Paltz out of the NCAA Tournament in a 62-60 outcome.
"We got to give them credit," said Hawks coach Jamie Seward. "They came out and really took it to us in the first half. Took it to us on the glass and we were able to get back in it, force some turnovers and got some great energy in the second half out of some people to help us get back in the game and ultimately take that lead, but we just weren't able to finish it and you have to give credit to Smith for doing it. They made some plays and that is the suddenness of this tournament. They made one more in the end."
SUNY New Paltz struggled to shoot the ball throughout the game, but especially in the first half, making just 10-of-39 attempts. Paige Niemeyer had the early hot hand for the Hawks, but suffered her second foul with 4:31 left in the first quarter and recorded her third just a minute into the second period forcing Seward to sit the All-SUNYAC senior.
"It got to the point where Paige had three early in the first half and we had to get through seven or eight minutes without her on the floor and they were opening up the lead as it was," Seward said. "We thought the game was getting away from us a little bit and we were able to make some plays and get some stops to close it a little bit before the half. It's tough when that's the case, but it is a part of the game. Certain people stepped up and made plays for us when that's happened throughout the course of the season and they did so again tonight. It just ends up being one or two short of we need to get us in the winner's circle."
The Pioneers also dominated on the glass in the first half, which helped with the advantage at the break, out-rebounding SUNY New Paltz, 27-13 in the first 20 minutes. The Hawks forced 13 first-half turnovers and limited Smith from 60 percent (6-10) in the first quarter to 46 percent (6-13) in the second, but the Pioneers' prowess in the paint attributed to the first-half lead.
Olivia Badura helped the Hawks get within two of the lead, driving through the paint and earning the and-1. After the made free throw, she cut the score to 19-17 early on in the second quarter. Smith continued getting into the lane, which helped propel an 8-2 run in the following two and a half minutes, which saw SUNY New Paltz miss 4-of-5 attempts in that span.
Deaver helped break up the run, picking off a pass on full court pressure by the Hawks. She brought the ball down the floor and handed off to Dietz who got her runner to go to get her team within eight with about three and a half minutes left in the quarter. Smith responded though with back-to-back buckets, while SUNY New Paltz struggled to find the bottom of the hoop to bring its cushion to 10. The Hawks trimmed the difference to eight at the break following back-to-back baskets by Philesha Teape in the final minute.
The Hawks found another level in the second half and allowed their defense to carry their offense. Niemeyer was subbed back in and immediately made an impact, scoring eight points in four minutes to aid in the comeback.
"We most definitely were more aggressive in the second half. In the first half we let them attack us a lot more and they kind of set the tone of the game," Teape said. "In the second half the switch turned on for us once we started pressing and that's when we started getting a lot of our steals and turnovers and that kind of boosted our energy, and we started getting to the glass. I wish we would have turned that on in the first half seeing how the game turned out from there, but things played out the way it should and the second half we really boosted it a lot more."
With Van Pelt also in foul trouble, Badura and Gillis stepped in and helped Niemeyer grab their first lead of the game. Badura officially pushed SUNY New Paltz ahead, 41-40 after burying a 3 in the corner with four minutes to go. Niemeyer was hit with her fourth foul on a loose ball about a minute later, forcing her to sit for a couple minutes, but Teape subbed in and helped the Hawks retain the lead.
Amelia Clairmont hit a big 3 to break up the surge to give Smith a one-point advantage, but Dietz made a trip to the foul line and made 1-of-2 to send the game into the fourth tied at 47.
"I think we left halftime knowing that their surge would be coming," said Pioneers coach Lynn Hersey. "The way that they play, the pace that they play, the jump-trapping that they're very disciplined to do, over time I think it took a little bit of a toll on us. I think that helped them get back in the game a little bit, but we tried to settle our group down and we tried to call a few timeouts to give us a breather and collect ourselves and try to go back to our game plan, and try to create some good looks for each other on the offensive end."
Gillis connected from the perimeter to bring the lead back to eight, but Smith responded with two quick 3's on back-to-back possession to create a two-point game. SUNY New Paltz still struggled to get its shots to fall, and the Pioneers then capitalized on the other end. After a missed 3-pointer by Badura, Smith grabbed the defensive board and Morgan Morrison hit a baseline jumper to tie the score at 60.
The Hawks called a time out and held possession with 51.8 seconds left. Gillis drove and had a decent look with her attempt just off the mark. Neimeyer hustled to grab the rebound, but inadvertently stepped on the baseline trying to save the loose ball. Smith then had its turn to connect on the go-ahead bucket. Clairmont held the ball up top and waited until time ticked off before driving right and putting up a contested runner that fell through the net with 1.4 seconds remaining.
SUNY New Paltz had one last opportunity to keep its season alive, holding the ball on the sideline out of a timeout. Smith defended well and Gillis tried lobbing a pass toward Van Pelt cutting to the hoop, but the Pioneers got their hands on the pass and knocked the ball out of bounds with .8 seconds left. They held up once again as the Hawks didn't get a clean look to toss up one last opportunity and the game ended at 62-60.
"They made plays down the stretch and they finished the game really strong," Seward said. "We got a couple decent looks, but I probably should have done a better job of calling a timeout and getting us into something better to give us a better shot. They ultimately had to make every one of those plays down the stretch and they made them. They got some offensive rebounds when they missed a shot and made a big shot coming off. They made a 3 late in the shot clock and made the shot in the end on a tough runner that gave them the lead."
SUNY New Paltz shot 29.7 percent from the field, while Smith finished 45 percent from the field, but the Hawks forced 25 turnovers in the game and totaled 14 steals a s a team.
Neimeyer led SUNY New Paltz with a team-high 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting with seven rebounds and two blocks in just 23 minutes. Gillis followed with 10 points and five rebounds, while Van Pelt added nine points, five rebounds two steals and a block. Dietz had five points, four rebounds a team-high seven assists and five steals, while Teape finished with eight points, six rebounds and two steals.
The Hawks end the season at 25-4 overall, matching last year's win total, which was the most in program history. They graduate a decorated senior class who brought along eight freshmen to carry on a legacy they helped build during their four years.
"It was an amazing season. Bitter sweet, I didn't want it to end like this, but yeah. It was a challenge coming in with eight freshmen knowing that we had big goals in mind and high standards to set in place," Teape said. "With those freshmen we had to instill those standards and those goals that we had with them, but the challenge was so much fun with the group that we had. The coaching, the atmosphere, it was amazing coming into practice every day and I absolutely loved it."
"Just looking back to seeing where we were in even July, and going back over the summer and thinking, 'how are we going to do this?' Just watching them grow from July to March 7 was the best feeling," Dietz added. "Like Phil mentioned a couple weeks ago, they will take over in a huddle and watching them speak so confidently and know what they are talking about, and just knowing that we are leaving [this program] in good hands is great. I am just so proud of them. They are not afraid of anything. They kept working and they did the best that they could to show how much they loved us and I love them just as much for doing that."
Dietz, Teape, Van Pelt and Neimeyer end their Hawks careers as the winningest players in program history, finishing with 87 total wins to go along with eight NCAA games played, five NCAA wins with two Sweet 16 appearances and three conference championships, while hosting four NCAA Tournament games and two State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships over the course of their four seasons.
"… I have a very, very hard time believing that there ever could have been a better example for a young group and they've left that imprint of themselves, on this program and on this group of freshmen," Seward said. "They will be forever grateful for it and they have no idea just how much they did learn and how much of a privilege that they had being around these four. I know a little bit better being a coach and being around different groups of players and I mean, there is no comparison with what these guys accomplished. It's amazing, but more so the way they went out and did it. The total commitment. The total accountability. The total unselfishness and selflessness in the way that they did it. It is a testament to them and their parents, and families and everybody that had a part of making them who they are today. They are amazing, amazing people. I'm just happy that I had a chance to know them and be around them."
