Box Score NEW YORK – Less than 24 hours after getting shut down for long stretches against a defense-oriented William Smith squad, the Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team would not allow itself to be outmaneuvered in that department for a second consecutive game.

The Cardinals (6-3, 3-1 SUNYAC) put the brakes on Skidmore (2-7) thanks to a balanced scoring attack and an incredibly stingy defensive game plan that featured 13 blocked shots – including a game-high eight from freshman Devona Paul. In the 67-58 victory, four Cardinals amassed 11 or more points while limiting the Thoroughbreds to a 17-of-60 (28.3 percent) afternoon from the field in the second-to-last game of the NYU Holiday Classic on Sunday (Dec. 30).

Although Misha Green netted the first basket of the game, that was one of the few bright spots for the Cardinals in the early stages of the first stanza. Sputtering out of the gates, Plattsburgh State clanked 15 of its first 19 field goal attempts in the contest which allowed Skidmore to slowly construct a 17-10 lead by the time the clock displayed 9:16.

Things began looking up for the Cardinals when Tequilla Lloyd swindled the ball from Dani Degregory and found Green unguarded on the other end of the floor where she swished a two-point jumper. That shot ignited a 12-2 Plattsburgh State run where five players poured in points.

Figuring prominently in the offensive awakening were Johni Coryea and Kathleen Payne. The latter canned a downtown jumper while Coryea knocked down a short two-pointer before giving the Cardinals their largest lead of the frame after making good on one of her two attempts at the free throw stripe with 2:20 remaining in the opening frame.

Catherine Cassidy found Payne for yet another jumper of the two-point variety that gave the Cardinals a 24-21 edge with 1:35 remaining, but Skylar Caligaris drained a triple for Skidmore with 45 ticks left on the first half clock that sent the squads to their respective locker rooms deadlocked at 24.

As they did in the first half, the Thoroughbreds came out gunning in the deciding frame. The Cardinals surrendered a 10-3 run through the first three-and-a-half minutes of the final 20-minute period. Green helped Plattsburgh State remain afloat during the dicey stretch with a layup and a make at the charity stripe.

Trailing 34-27 with 16:29 remaining, the Cardinals elected to employ a multi-pronged offensive attack to get back in the game. Green and Payne joined forces for a 6-0 run that brought the Cardinals within one point before Ella Scheuerell rattled home a trey for Skidmore at the 14:06 mark.

With so much of Skidmore’s defensive focus targeted on Green and Payne, the door swung wide open for Brooke Reifinger. The junior responded with a long ball of her own and followed her downtown make up with a layup before Payne banked in a layup thanks to an assist from Brittany Marshall with 12:31 remaining to give the Cardinals a 40-39 lead.

The comeback completed, the Cardinals would never trail again but couldn’t quite close out the pesky Skidmore squad until back-to-back three-pointers by Brittany Marshall and Reifinger made the score 51-45 Plattsburgh with 8:14 to go in the contest.

Making one final push by storming the painted area time and time again, Skidmore got to within 53-52 with 4:28 remaining thanks to a 5-0 run occurring solely at the free throw line. Payne, though, made a trip to the Plattsburgh State free throw line with 3:53 left and ended the threat by the Thoroughbreds by draining both of her attempts. Marshall followed up with another make from beyond the arc that made it 58-52 Cardinals with 2:29 to go, and the Cardinals went on to ice the game at the free throw line.

The Cardinals excelled in many areas during the victory, one of which was passing. Of their 21 made field goals, 17 were assisted with Marshall dishing out a game-high six. Payne poured in a game-high 16 points to lead the way for the Cardinals while Marshall added 12 of her own. Green and Reifinger chipped in 11 apiece to round out the main scoring contingent.

After hitting just nine of their 31 shots in the first half (29 percent), the Cardinals heated up substantially in the deciding frame, going 12-of-27 from the field (44.4 percent). After making just five trips to the free throw line on Saturday, the Cardinals were far more aggressive against Skidmore, making good on 18 of their 27 attempts at the line.

Caligaris had 11 points for Skidmore while Angela Botiba grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

Their neutral court regular season slate all sewed up, the Cardinals return to Memorial Hall on Tuesday, January 8, for a non-conference bout with Norwich. The Cadets and Cardinals are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.