NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo junior forward Katie Vienneau notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds but it was top-seeded and host New Paltz earning the 65-52 victory to capture the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship, Saturday.

This is the Hawks' (21-6) second-overall SUNYAC Title with their first championship coming in 2013, which saw the team also defeat Geneseo in the finals at home.

Junior guard Katie Durand had nine points and eight rebounds while junior guard Kara Houppert added eight points and four rebounds. Senior guard Goldie Harrison led the way for New Paltz with a game-high 18 points and landed SUNYAC Tournament MVP honors.

Trailing, 8-6, at 3:49 in the first quarter, junior guard Bridgit Ryan scored from long range to give the Knights a one-point edge. Down by four, 14-10, Vienneau made a lay-up with 47 seconds remaining in the period to cut the deficit to two, 14-12, heading into the second quarter.

At 8:14 in the second quarter, senior forward Lea Sobieraski hit a lay-up to tie the game, 16-16. However, the Hawks responded with a 12-4 run to close out the half and take a 28-20 advantage into the intermission.

With 2:53 on the clock in the third quarter, Harrison made a free-throw to give New Paltz its largest lead of the game, 43-26. The Knights used a 6-2 spurt to come within 13, 45-32, entering the final quarter.

Senior guard Dana Cohan and Vienneau each made a pair of free throws at 6:28 in the fourth quarter to bring Geneseo within 10, 51-41, but Harrison scored 11 of 13 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory for the Hawks.

Geneseo (20-7) will hope to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament that begins on March 4th. The selection show is scheduled for Feb. 29 at 2:30 p.m.

2016 SUNYAC All-Tournament Team
Katie Vienneau - Geneseo
Allison McKenna - Geneseo
Bryn Loomis - Oneonta
Kit Small - New Paltz
Courtney Irby - New Paltz
Goldie Harrison (MVP) - New Paltz