The Fredonia women's basketball team won for the 18th time this season setting a new team record, as well as securing a first-ever home playoff game in a 70-65 win over New Paltz. The Devils finish in third place in the SUNYAC and will play host to a home quarterfinal game on Tuesday in Steele Hall.
They also swept the season series from regular-season champion New Paltz, who earn a first-round bye and will play host to the semi-finals and finals. Fredonia will take on No. 6 seed Brockport 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Four Blue Devils scored in double digits, led by Alexis Cheatham (Lockport/Lockport) with 17 points and Sabrina Macaulay (Newark, N.Y./Newark) with 15. Jamie Curry (Ransomville/Wilson) added 11 and Jacque Law (Machias/Pioneer) had 10.
Cheatham added four assists and had four three pointers. Curry had a team-high six rebounds and had three assists, and Jenna Einink (Mayville/Chautauqua Lake) also registered six boards.
The teams kept the score tight in the first half, with Fredonia heading into the locker room with a 30-28 lead.
Midway through the third quarter, with the game tied at 35, Fredonia would go on a 9-0 run to gain its biggest lead of the game. Einink started the run with a layup, and Cheatham capped the spurt with the next seven points.
New Paltz immediately replied with an ensuing 6-0 run to pull within three, 44-41. By quarter's end, Fredonia was nursing a 46-45 lead.
To start the fourth quarter, New Paltz claimed its first lead since the game's opening minutes with a quick three from Sydney Pinn. Khee Nance (Dunkirk/Dunkirk) and Law converted back-to-back layups to put Fredonia back up. The teams would battle over the next few minutes, tying the game four more times, the last at 59-all.
Tied at 59, Macaulay converted a layup, blocked a shot on the defensive end and Curry nailed a pair of free throws to put Fredonia up for good.
New Paltz's last gasp came when they pulled within one point, 65-64 at the 1:19 mark following a jumper by Laura Stewart. Cheatham then nailed a long three with 29 seconds left to take back the momentum as the Devils closed out the game.
Prior to the contest, the team recognized its three seniors. Sammy Villarini (Hamburg/Hamburg) played two seasons with the Devils, and Katie Devine (Clarence/Clarence) and Macaulay each played four seasons. All three were in the starting lineup.
Macaulay continued her march toward 1,000 career points. She now has 971, ninth on the team's all-time list. She also sits at 730 rebounds, fifth in team history.
