NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Junior forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) posted 16 points and 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season as the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team fell 69-63 in a State University of New York Athletic Conference contest to SUNY Cortland on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Hawks drop to 7-3, 2-1 and will travel to play The College of Brockport on Friday, Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. Cortland improves to 7-3, 2-1 and returns home to host SUNY Geneseo on Jan. 12 at 4 p.m.
 
The Red Dragons picked up a 10-2 run over the Hawks in the start of the first quarter and continued to extend their lead to at least 11 heading into the second period. New Paltz started a steady climb to decrease the point gap, cutting the Red Dragons' lead to eight on a 3-pointer by Irby.

However Cortland would rally in the final six seconds of the period to lead 40-29 at the break.
 
The third quarter saw the Hawks start to catch up to Cortland. Sophomore guard Sydney Pinn (Elmont, N.Y./St. Mary's College Prep) trimmed the deficit to five with a 3-pointer at 6:49. Despite Cortland's efforts to shake off the Hawks, a 3-pointer by senior guard Colleen Ames (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) at the 18-second mark brought New Paltz within three of the Red Dragons.
 
The Hawks continued to chip away at Cortland's lead in the final period before tying the score to 60-all with 1:36 left to play. However Cortland would capitalize on several New Paltz fouls, securing the final win on two made free throws by junior forward Danielle Levine.
 
New Paltz shot 33.8 percent from the field (22-of-65) but managed to grab 24 points in the paint and finished with a 26-24 cushion in rebounds. Cortland shot 40.4 percent from the floor (19-of-47) and turned 25 New Paltz turnovers into points.
 
Pinn and sophomore guard Jasmine Bryant (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) added to New Paltz efforts by chipping in nine points and five rebounds apiece.
 
For the Red Dragons, senior guard Caysea Cohen led the team with 23 points while shooting 9-of-9 from the foul line. Junior guard/forward Stephanie Rice added 13 points and three blocks for Cortland while junior forward Alyssa Crosby led the team in rebounds, posting eight.