NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – In their last game in 2012, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team (9-0, 4-0 SUNYAC) kept its perfect start alive, defeating Hamilton College (4-4, 0-0 NESCAC), 52-43, in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday at the Hawk Center. The Hawks close out the 2012 calendar year with a 24-2 overall mark and an 11-game winning streak at home.
 
Freshman forward Michelle Valle (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science/Mathematics) picked up her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Senior guard Maliqua Fisher (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) added 11 points and six boards, while senior forward Alex McCullough (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) led the team with 12 points on the evening.
 
The Hawks got off to a very slow start, falling behind 10-2 just five minutes into the game. They slowly chipped away at Hamilton's lead, finally tying the game at 12 at the 10:44 mark. Hamilton took a one-point lead with 4:34 remaining in the half, but the Hawks put together a 9-1 run to go up by seven. McCullough drained a three at the buzzer to give the Hawks an eight-point lead going into the break.
 
The second half got off to a similar start, as the visiting Continentals went on a 16-4 in the first ten minutes to take a 36-32 lead. After cutting the deficit to two, junior guard Alyssa Gratien (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) sunk a shot from behind the arc to give the Hawks a lead they would never surrender. Gratien's three was part of a 10-0 run with which New Paltz was able to put the Continentals away.
 
The Hawks shot 34 percent from the floor (17-for-50) compared to Hamilton's 26.8 percent (15-for-56). The Continentals held a slight edge from the distance, making 26.3 percent (5-for-19) of their threes to the Hawks' 25 percent (3-for-12). Hamilton also held an advantage from the charity stripe, making eight of 10 (80 percent) of their free throws to New Paltz's 57.7 percent (15-for-26).
 
On the defensive side, New Paltz beat out Hamilton on the boards, 41-39. The Hawks also blocked six shots to Hamilton's two, and forced 26 turnovers to Hamilton's 25.
 
Hamilton's Eliza Howe led all scorers on the evening with 13 points. Madie Harlem was not far behind with 12 of her own, and each of the two pulled down six boards.
 
The Hawks' next game will take place in the New Year. They will take on Mount Saint Mary College on Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, with the tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Hawk Center.