GENESEO, N.Y. – The Geneseo women’s basketball team (13-4, 9-2 SUNYAC) rolled to a 73-43 win over previously undefeated New Paltz (14-1, 8-1 SUNYAC) Friday in State University of New York Athletic Conference play. With the win the Knights pulled to within half of game of the Hawks, who entered the night as one of six unbeatens in Division III women’s basketball.

Geneseo opened the game on a 20-3 run and – after New Paltz came all the way back to tie the score and enter the locker room tied 29-29  -- scored the first 20 points of the second period. The Knights held the Hawks, who missed their first 10 shots of the game and their first 15 of the second half, to 18-of-32 shooting (25.0 percent). Nine of Geneseo’s opponents have scored 45 points or fewer.

Senior guard Melissa Graham (Orchard Park/Mount Mercy) recorded her third career double-double, leading all players with 15 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. First year forward Allison McKenna (Huntington/John Glenn) picked up the second double-double of her career, scoring 14 points and pulling down 14 rebounds.

Graham added four assists and two blocked shots; she moved into the program’s all-time top 10 in assists (she’s now 10th with 257), closed to within two blocks of the school record total of 106 and raised her rebound total to 624, good for sixth on Geneseo’s career list.

First year guard Paige Hill (Pittsford/Mendon) made her first career start and collected personal-high totals of nine rebounds and eight points. Sophomore guard Cara Manfredi (South Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) scored a season-best 12 points and first year guard Dana Cohan (Rochester/Greece Athena) added 10. Cohan scored eight of her points in Geneseo’s 20-0 run that opened the second half.

Geneseo conducted its annual Faculty Recognition Night, honoring Dr. Anne Eisenberg (sociology) and Dr. Kristina Hannam (biology).


The Knights conclude their four-game homestand with a 2 p.m. game against Oneonta Saturday.

Box score