ONEONTA, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team (12-0, 6-0 SUNYAC) doubled up SUNY Oneonta (4-9, 1-5 SUNYAC) in the second half of their State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) matchup to rally to a 50-36 victory Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field House. The win improves upon the best start to a season in the program's history.
 
After only scoring 14 points in the first half, the Hawks came flying out of the intermission with a 19-2 run to take a 33-20 lead 10 minutes into the half. Freshman guard Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) scored eight of the 19 points during the run, while senior forward Alex McCullough (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) added six. The Hawks held a 22-point lead with just under two minutes to go when Oneonta closed out the game with an 8-0 run.
 
Senior guard Kahsyrah Bryant (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) led all scorers with a career-high 20 points on the afternoon, 12 of which were scored in the second stanza. She also pulled down five rebounds in the win. Walker scored 13 for the Hawks, while McCullough picked up eight points, five boards and four blocks. Freshman forward Michelle Valle (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science/Mathematics) led New Paltz with 10 rebounds.
 
Defense dominated the first half for both squads. After the Red Dragons took a 6-3 lead at the 16:55 mark, the ball did not find the bottom of the hoop for almost three minutes. Valle ended the drought with a layup and the scoring picked up again for several minutes. Walker drained a three at the 10:26 mark to put the Hawks up 10-8 before another three-minute lapse in scoring. Oneonta held an 18-14 lead with 1:51 before the break, but neither team was able to score before the buzzer and the score remained the same.
 
Grace Schilling and Kelly Mulligan each scored eight points for the Red Dragons on Saturday. Sarah Longto did not score in the loss, but she grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Both teams shot under 25 percent from the field in the first half, but the Hawks rallied in the second to finish with a 33.3 percent success rate. After going 2-for-11 (.182) from long distance in the first half, the Hawks made 3-of-4 (.750) in the second. They matched their shooting from the field with a 33.3 three-point percentage in the win, while Oneonta shot just 15.4 percent (2-for-13) from behind the arc. The Hawks had a rough time at the free throw line, shooting just 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from the charity stripe to Oneonta's 75 percent (6-for-8).
 
The Hawks continue SUNYAC play on Friday, Jan. 18, with a road contest at SUNY Plattsburgh. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.