NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - Caysea Cohen (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) scored 23 points, including three free throws with 1:16 left in a tie game, as Cortland edged host New Paltz, 69-63, in a SUNYAC women's basketball contest. Both teams are now 7-3 overall and 2-1 in the league with the outcome.
Cohen finished 6-of-13 from the field and made all nine of her free throws in addition to grabbing six rebounds. She improved her career scoring total to 994 points, which includes 618 points in three seasons at Cortland in addition to 376 points last year at Oneonta.
Stephanie Rice (Duanesburg) added 13 points, three blocks and two assists, Taylor Miller (Freeport) finished with 10 points (3-of-4 shooting) and three steals and Alyssa Crosby (Brier Hill/Hammond) ended with six points, eight rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists.
Courtney Irby led New Paltz with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Jasmine Bryant and Sydney Pinn each scored nine points and Kit Small totaled six points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Cortland surged to a 21-6 lead with less than a minute left in the first quarter and held a 21-10 advantage at the first break. The Red Dragons increased their lead to 16 at 26-10 on a Crosby jumper with 8:25 left in the second quarter. Cortland eventually settled for an 11-point lead at halftime at 40-29. Cohen scored 14 points in the opening half on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, including two 3-pointers.
New Paltz rallied in the third quarter and got as close as three points at 48-45 on Colleen Ames' 3-pointer with 18 seconds left. Miller responded with a 3-point play with nine seconds left and the Red Dragons were up 51-45 entering the fourth quarter.
New Paltz, which led only once in the contest at 2-0, eventually tied the game at 60-60 on a Sydney Pinn free throw with 1:36 remaining. Cohen was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer 20 seconds later, and she buried all three free throws to put Cortland up 63-60. New Paltz missed a shot, then turned the ball over after grabbing an offensive rebound, and Cohen hit two foul shots with 36 seconds left to extend the lead to five.
Ames made a 3-pointer with 23 seconds on the clock to bring the Hawks within two, but Cohen hit two free throws a second later, and Danielle Levine (Holbrook/Sachem North) recorded a steal and made two free throws with six seconds left to seal the win. Levine and Cassidy Chapko (Valley Falls/Hoosic Valley) each finished with eight points, with Levine also sharing the team lead with three steals.
Cortland will host Geneseo next Tuesday, January 12, at 4 p.m.