ROCHESTER, NY -- The No. 18 RIT (0-1) women's basketball team began the 2019-20 season with an 83-80 loss to No. 23 SUNY New Paltz (1-0) from Clark Gymnasium Saturday evening.

RIT trailed 51-34 at halftime, but stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring New Paltz 23-11. RIT cut a 19-point Hawks lead to 57-49 on a layup by Kaleesha Joseph (Somerville, MA/Prospect Hill Academy Charter). With time running out in the quarter, Alyssa Juergens (Rochester, NY/Hilton) drained a three-pointer, to trim the New Paltz lead to 62-57.

Joseph cut the Hawks lead to 64-63 with her layup early in the fourth quarter, capping off a 14-5 run by the Tigers. Marion Dietz increased the Hawks lead back to 71-64 on her three-pointer with 5:48 to play in regulation.

Brooke Stanley (Minnetonka, MN/Benilde-St. Margaret's) nailed a three-pointer with 2:44 to play to cut the New Paltz lead to 71-69. But again, New Paltz responded, taking a 78-71 lead in a Maddie Gillis three-pointer with 1:17 remaining. Stanley, who finished with a team-high 25 points made it 79-74 on hern jumper with 13 seconds remaining, but the Hawks made key free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

RIT shot 50-percent from the floor on 32-of-64 shooting. The Tigers made 9-of-17 from beyond the arc and were 7-of-8 from the foul line. Joseph and Sabrina Wolfe (Troy, NY/Troy) each scored 15 points, while Joseph finished with 10 rebounds. Alyssa Juergens (Rochester, NY/Hilton) chipped in 14 points for the Tigers, while Taylor Signor (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) and Stanley each handed out five assists.

Dietz led SUNY New Paltz with 29 points, while Philesha Teape chipped in 10 points and 12 rebounds. Paige Niemeyer added 21 points for the Hawks, who shot 42.4 percent from the floor.

RIT returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 12, against The College at Brockport at 5 p.m. on the floor of Clark Gymnasium.