NEW PALTZ, NY – The SUNY Fredonia women's basketball team, in the thick of a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) playoff picture, got 28 points from senior guard Becky Hebert and pulled away from the State University of New York at New Paltz Hawks, 81-59, at the Hawk Center on Saturday afternoon.
Hebert, who ranks seventh nationally in Division III in scoring (23.6 points per game), was nearly perfect in her 28-point effort. She shot 11-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from the line. She led a Blue Devils team that shot 52 percent for the game, placed five players in double figures and used a 19-6 run to close out the first half and a 13-4 spurt to start the second half, to down the Hawks.
The loss drops New Paltz to 5-17, 3-12. Fredonia improves to 13-7, 8-6, and used the victory to jump into fourth place in SUNYAC standings. The Hawks, who completed their home schedule, will play the final three games of the season on the road, starting at SUNY Oneonta on Friday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. Fredonia hosts SUNY Geneseo on Feb. 14 at 6 p.m.
The Hawks kept pace with the high scoring Blue Devils in the first 10 minutes of the contest. A jumper in the lane from sophomore guard Christine Rivera (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach) gave the Hawks a 21-19 lead 6:43 into the conttest, but it would be New Paltz's last lead of the contest. Fredonia sophomore guard Brittany LaForce answered back immediately with a three-pointer for a 22-21 lead and the Blue Devils closed out the first half on a 19-6 run over the final 13:17 for a 41-27 halftime lead. Hebert was difficult to contain, accounting for 10 of Fredonia's 19 points.
The Blue Devils started the second half with a flourish, going on a 13-4 run in the opening 5:31 to build a 54-31 lead. In that push to create further distance, Fredonia sophomore forward Sabrina Macauley tallied six of her team's 13 points.
The closest New Paltz could come from that point was 66-50 with 6:02 remaining following a layup from freshman forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale).
Irby led New Paltz with 18 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Shannan Walker (Vestal, NY/Vestal), found her long-range shooting touch and finished with 12 points, all from three-point range. Saturday's contest marked the final home game for senior Jeanette Scott (West Babylon, NY/North Bablyon).
Fredonia got 15 points from freshman guard Alex Cheatham, 12 points from LaForce, 11 from senior forward Jamie Warren and a 10-point, 15-rebound game from Macauley.