SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—Junior guard Kit Small scored 20 points and added eight rebounds to lead New Paltz to a 62-45 win over the Skidmore College women's basketball team in the opening game of the 39th Skidmore Women's Basketball Invitational, Friday evening at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
Kelly Donnelly led the Thoroughbreds (0-1) with 17 points, 13 rebounds and three steals. Amber Holgate chipped in nine points, six rebounds and three steals of the bench.
 
Small was 5-for-7 from the floor and 10-for-17 from the free throw line. Colleen Ames added 10 points, while Sydney Pinn contributed eight points and six boards. 
 
The two teams traded baskets in the first quarter with the Hawks pulling in front 15-13 on a Pinn layup.
 
New Paltz (1-0) pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring the Thoroughbreds 19-3 and taking a 34-18 lead into the break. Ames contributed five points in the frame, while Small produced four.
 
The Hawks pushed their lead to 21 midway through the third quarter with a 5-0 run capped by a Small free throw. Skidmore chipped away at the lead, cutting its deficit to 47-31 on a Kayla Mitchell 3-pointer, but New Paltz made the most of its free throw attempts to carry a 50-31 lead into the fourth.
 
The Thoroughbreds continued to battle in the fourth quarter, climbing back within 11 with a 11-2 run to open the quarter, including seven points from Donnelly and three form Holgate. However, the Hawks managed to hang on, holding Skidmore to one basket over the final 6:36 of play to seal the 62-45 win.
 
Skidmore shot 15-for-84 (17.9%) from the field and 3-for-26 from three (11.5%), while New Paltz was 16-for-47 (34.0%) from the floor and 3-for-10 (30.0%) from beyond the arc. The two teams combined for 63 personal fouls and 66 turnovers.

"For an opening game and with the experience of our roster were not happy with the results, but we saw a lot of good things," said Skidmore head coach Darren Bennett.

"We forced 40 turnovers and had 84 shot attempts in 40 minutes, and that certainly is a style of play were looking to have on a nightly basis, but we also got ourselves into tremendous foul trouble. We put them to the free-throw line for an opportunity to make 27 free throws on the night and they had a +15 difference in free throws made, which is really a big part of the game in the final score.

"We had a chance to see that we can play with the deep bench this year and really play a fast game and switch things up on the defensive end in particular, which is something we're going to look to do every single time we step on the court.

"We have a lot of work to do on the offensive end, and that something we will look to clean up, but we're going to have to really start converting on a lot of these turnovers. We missed a lot of makeable shots and open layups and that is something that's going to make a difference down the road.

"Overall we are certainly not pleased with our performance but we are certainly excited about many of the things we saw and look forward to get the after tomorrow versus really tough Wellesley basketball team."

The Thoroughbreds return to the court at 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Wellesley College.

GAME TWO
St. Joseph's 53, Wellesley 47
 
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—Freshman guard Kelsi McNamara delivered a clutch 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to lift the St. Joseph's College (ME) basketball team to a 53-47 win over Wellesley at the 39^th Skidmore Women's Basketball Invitational, Friday night at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
With the shot clock winding down, McNamara launched a deep three that beat the buzzer and put the Monks in front 50-47. St. Joseph's made three free throws down the stretch and kept the Blue off the board to secure the win.
 
Sophomore forward Norma Waggett led the Monks with 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals. McNamara finished with nine points, four assists, three boards and three steals.
 
Freshman forward Chelsi Scott had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Wellesley, going 13-for-16 from the free throw line. Freshman guard Brenna Butler contributed 10 points and three steals off the bench.
 
The two teams went back and forth for the first three quarters. The Blue opened a five-point lead late in the third quarter after four straight points from Scott, but Emily Quirion knocked down a jumper with 14 seconds remaining to pull St. Joseph's within three at 39-36 heading into the final frame.
 
The Monks opened the fourth with an 8-0 run, taking a 44-39 lead after a pair of Quirion free throws. Wellesley pulled back in front with a 6-0 run sparked by five straight points from Butler.
 
Waggett restored the St. Joseph's lead with two from the charity stripe, and after Kayla Jang knotted the game at 47-47, McNamara delivered what proved to be the dagger with 2:10 remaining.
 
St. Joseph's shot 17-for-53 from the field and 2-for-11 from 3-point range, while Wellesley was 13-for-48 from the floor and 3-for-15 from deep.
 
The Monks take on New Paltz at 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, while Wellesley faces Skidmore at 4 p.m.