Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – A season-low shooting percentage of 23.1 (18-of-78 from the field) contributed largely to the Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team’s latest setback, this one via a 65-52 tally to SUNYAC enemy Oneonta State on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall.
With the loss, the Cardinals drop to 8-7 overall and 4-4 in league play while the Red Dragons improve to 6-9 and 3-5 in SUNYAC confrontations behind a game-high 21 points from Alyshia Crawford.
Looking to forget all about their overtime mishap the previous evening, the Cardinals came out strong behind a pair of deep triples from Brittany Marshall followed by two makes at the charity stripe from Brooke Reifinger.
That 8-2 scoring spree to begin the game helped the Cardinals get their confidence up and eventually take a 10-point lead thanks to a triple by Kathleen Payne with 14:10 remaining in the first half.
Up 18-8 after Marshall drove the length of the court and capitalized on a layup, the Cardinals’ defense grew increasingly porous, surrendering 14 straight points to the Red Dragons over a 5:08 span in the initial frame.
During that stretch, the Cardinals went cold from the field to the tune of an 0-for-10 performance and committed six turnovers as well. Payne finally put in a free throw that made matters 22-19 Red Dragons with 7:51 to go that ended the Oneonta-oriented offensive stretch.
Head coach Cheryl Cole called on Johni Coryea off the Plattsburgh State bench to help the Cardinals get back into the game, and the senior responded by hitting a jumper with 6:02 to go in the half that brought the Cardinals within three once more, 24-21.
After Sarah Longto connected on a pair of free throws for the Red Dragons with 5:51 left on the first half clock, the Cardinals kept Oneonta State off the scoreboard for the remainder of the half while Marshall scored five consecutive points for the Cardinals – including a last-second mid-range jumper that knotted things at 26 before halftime.
Rebounding was one of the big reasons the Cardinals remained in the game, as they hauled down 33 boards – 16 of the offensive variety – in the opening frame.
Once again, however, the second half proved to be less than welcoming for Plattsburgh State. Longto hit a layup after 1:05 had elapsed in the second half that gave the Red Dragons the lead for good.
Reifinger nailed one of her three triples that brought the score to a 32-32 deadlock with 17:14 to go in the game, but that’s as close as the Cardinals would come to regaining their once-comfortable lead.
Crawford scored the next eight points for the Red Dragons – including a pair of deep triples – that kicked off a game-clinching 15-3 tear for the visitors, making the score 47-35 Oneonta State with 12 minutes left in the game.
Back-to-back downtown buckets from Payne and Reifinger helped the Cardinals get to within five points, 48-43, with 8:35 showing on the game clock, but a 9-2 Oneonta State run that culminated with a layup from Crawford with 3:43 to go put the game out of reach for the Cardinals.
Reifinger finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting while pulling down six boards. Marshall netted 16 markers of her own and dished out a game-high four assists, but threw the ball away six times as well.
Coryea paced the Cardinals on the boards, pulling down nine as part of a 54-rebound performance by the home squad. Payne finished with nine points on 3-of-17 shooting.
Longto finished with a double-double for Oneonta State, netting 10 points and corralling a game-high 14 rebounds. Grace Schilling and Lyteshia Price poured in 13 points each for the Red Dragons who went 23-of-66 (34.8 percent) from the field and also snagged 54 rebounds.
Facing a five-game road stretch, the Cardinals will look to reenter the SUNYAC win column when they make the short journey to Potsdam on Tuesday to take on the Bears. Tip off between Plattsburgh State and SUNY Potsdam is scheduled for 6 p.m.
