OSWEGO, N.Y. – Three players finished in double figures for the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team but the Hawks dropped a 72-49 decision at SUNY Oswego on Tuesday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium.

With the loss, the Hawks move to 14-7, 10-4 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and are now in third place in the standings. New Paltz travels to Geneseo and Brockport this weekend, Feb. 13-14. The Lakers, meanwhile, improve to 7-14, 5-9 SUNYAC and are tied with Fredonia for seventh in the league, one spot out of the playoff bracket. Oswego hosts Potsdam and Plattsburgh this weekend. 

Sophomore guard/forward Kit Small (Slingerlands, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names) scored a team-high 13 points and pulled in five rebounds. Sophomore forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) scored 12 points and led the Hawks with eight rebounds. Junior guard Christine Rivera (Long Beach, N.Y./Valley Stream) also scored 12 points off the bench, with a trio of three pointers. Rivera and the New Paltz bench outscored Oswego, 21-16.

For the Lakers, three players finished in double digits, led by freshman guard Alisha Jacobs with 18 points. Junior forward Heather Hebert scored 16 points and pulled in a game-high 19 rebounds.

New Paltz failed to enjoy a lead the entire contest. Junior guard Goldie Harrison (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) knotted the game in the early goings but from that point, Oswego went on a 17-2 run to put the Hawks in a 19-4 hole with 13:43 remaining in the first half.

The Hawks trimmed that deficit down to 10 points (21-11) with a little less than 10 minutes to go but another Laker spurt put Oswego ahead 32-17 with 3:20 to play. Rivera made a layup with 45 seconds left and sunk a three at the buzzer but New Paltz still trailed at halftime, 42-26.

The second half woes continued for the visitors as New Paltz fell behind by 20 (46-26) less than two minutes into the period. However, the Hawks would rally and go on a 15-6 run capped off by another Rivera three to pull within 11 (52-41).

But this was the closest that New Paltz would get for the rest of the evening as Oswego once again went ahead by 20 points with 6:19 remaining in regulation and continued to hold off the Hawks for the rest of the conference contest.