NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - Alyssa Crosby (Brier Hill/Hammond) posted career highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds as Cortland defeated defending SUNYAC champion New Paltz, 70-64, in a conference road game.
The Red Dragons improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in league play. New Paltz fell to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
Cassidy Chapko (Valley Falls/Hoosic Valley) added 15 points and Stephanie Rice (Duanesburg) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Red Dragons. In addition, Taylor Miller (Freeport) totaled eight points, six assists and six rebounds and Tanna Mohammed (Huntington/Elwood-John Glenn) scored nine points, including two crucial fourth-quarter 3-pointers, and handed out three assists.
Courtney Irby led New Paltz with 19 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Kit Small scored 11 points and pulled down seven boards and Lindsay Bettke scored 10 points.
Crosby made 5-of-7 field goals and 11-of-17 free throws. She also blocked two shots, and 10 of her 13 rebounds came on the defensive glass.
Cortland shot 40 percent from the field overall and 46 percent from the 3-point arc. The Red Dragons missed all five of their treys in the first half, but connected on 5-of-6 attempts in the second half. New Paltz shot only 27 percent from the field and 21 percent (9-of-44) from 3-point range. The Hawks held a 19-4 advantage in second-chance points after grabbing 27 offensive rebounds.
The Red Dragons jumped out to a 17-9 lead after one quarter and pushed their lead to 21-11 before New Paltz rattled off 10 straight points to tie the game. Cortland re-established a six-point lead late in the quarter on two Crosby free throws, but Sandi Harris made a 3-pointer in the final seconds and Cortland's lead was just three at the half, 27-24.
Neither team led by more than three points for most of the third quarter. Cortland took a 43-38 lead on two Samantha Roberts (North Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) free throws with 1:29 left, and Crosby's two foul shots with 33 seconds remaining sent Cortland into the fourth quarter with a 45-40 lead.
The hosts were back within a point at 48-47 on Small's traditional 3-point play with 7:19 left. Mohammed answered with a 3-pointer less than 10 seconds later, and after Irby's basket at the 6:10 mark, Mohammed nailed another triple with 5:52 remaining to give Cortland a 54-49 lead.
Cortland was clinging to a 60-56 lead with three minutes left. After each team failed to score on its next possession, Crosby was fouled and made two free throws with 2:32 left to put Cortland up by six. Rice added two free throws with 1:14 remaining after being fouled on a breakaway opportunity, and the Red Dragons eventually extended their lead to 10 at 68-58 on Crosby's free throw with 31 seconds left and withstood two late New Paltz 3-pointers.
Cortland will host Buffalo State Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Fredonia Saturday at 4 p.m. in SUNYAC games.