NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team had no trouble defeating visiting Trinity (Conn.), handing the Bantams a 77-54 defeat on Tuesday night in the Hawk Center.
 
With the victory, the Hawks move to 7-5 overall and will now play only State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contests for the remainder of the regular season as New Paltz travels to Oneonta on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. Trinity, meanwhile, falls to 4-9 and plays at New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponent Bates on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
 
Sophomore forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) led the Hawks with season-highs in points (19) and rebounds (11) for her first double-double of the year. Sophomore guard/forward Kit Small (Slingerlands, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names) and junior guard/forward Colleen Ames (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) both notched 12 points apiece while senior guard Shannan Walker (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) handed out a game-high six assists to go along with five rebounds.
 
For the game, New Paltz forced 33 Trinity turnovers and scored 33 points off those mistakes. The Hawks enjoyed 44 points in the paint and outscored the Bantams' bench 28-9.
 
Early on the contest was close with Trinity jumping out to a 2-0 lead but New Paltz recovered and went ahead 10-6 after a three by Ames with 14:23 to play. The Hawks would not surrender the lead for the rest of the game, going ahead by 12 (21-9) with 9:27 left, thanks to a three by Walker.
 
New Paltz increased its lead to 22 points (37-15) after a foul shot by junior guard Goldie Harrison (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial). Despite giving up a pair of free throws to Trinity with 51 ticks left, the Hawks went into intermission still leading by 20 (39-19). Irby scored 11 of her 19 points in the opening half on 5-of-8 shooting.
 
In the second half, the Bantams tried to make the contest close, creeping within 15 points on six separate occasions, but the New Paltz defense remained stout. Trinity trimmed the lead to 14 points (62-48) with seven minutes to play but three foul shots by Ames in the next two possessions gave New Paltz an 18-point cushion (67-49).
 
Senior guard Ashley Riefenhauser (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) sunk a three with 3:51 to go and a layup by junior forward Ana Morel (New York City, N.Y./IN-Tech Academy 368) put the Hawks up 26 (75-49) as New Paltz claimed its final non-conference contest of the year.
 
For Trinity, Mackenzie Griffin scored a game-high 22 points behind 8-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe. The junior center also grabbed five boards and notched two blocks and a steal.