NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Junior guard/forward Colleen Ames (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) scored a season-high 19 points off the bench to lead the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team past The College at Brockport 77-64 in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) home opener on Friday night in the Hawk Center.
 
With the win, the Hawks move to 5-5, 2-2 SUNYAC and look to go over .500 tomorrow against Geneseo at 4 p.m. Brockport, meanwhile, slips to 2-7, 0-2 SUNYAC and plays at Oneonta at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Ames shot 8-of-14 from the field and made two three-pointers to go along with seven rebounds and three steals in just 16 minutes of action. Freshman guard/forward Jasmine Bryant (Elmont, N.Y./St. Mary's College Prep) joined her in double figures with 15 points, also off the bench, behind a 3-of-6 performance from long range.
 
Freshman guard/forward Laura Stuart (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) hauled down a team-best 11 boards and chipped in six points and two helpers. Senior guard Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) knocked down nine points, all coming from beyond the arc, and distributed a team-high four assists.
 
Despite trailing 4-0 in the first two minutes of the contest, the Hawks went on a quick 8-2 spurt highlighted by a three by Walker at 17:03. Brockport widdled the lead down to one (12-11) with 12:48 remaining and knotted the game at 15 with less than 12 minutes to play in the opening half.
 
But the New Paltz offense woke up from that point forward and went on an 11-1 run in the next three minutes, including a layup by Bryant that forced the Golden Eagles to call a timeout with New Paltz ahead 26-16. The Hawks then increased their lead to 12 after a jumper by senior guard Ashley Riefenhauser  (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) with a little over nine minutes to go.
 
The Golden Eagles got within six (32-26) before a three by Ames handed New Paltz a 10-point lead with just three minutes left in the opening stanza. But the Hawks went into intermission leading 38-32 after Brockport scored the final four points to close the half.
 
New Paltz lead the entire second half and at one point Ames scored eight straight points for the Hawks. New Paltz went up by 17 points (54-37) when Bryant knocked down a three with 13 minutes to play but Brockport trimmed the lead back down to 11 at 9:21. The Hawks remained determined and increased their advantage to 20 points (70-50) at 2:41; however, sloppy play in the final minutes gave the Golden Eagles several easy scoring opportunities but the Hawks held on for the crucial conference victory.
 
Brockport had three players finish in double figures as forward Olivia Suhr led the way with 16 points. New Paltz forced 25 Golden Eagle turnovers and scored 23 points off of those miscues.