Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Even when the shots aren't falling at an especially high rate for the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team, the Cardinals rarely find themselves in danger due to a tenacious brand of defense. 

Those who are looking for empirical evidence to support that claim need only look at what happened in Memorial Hall on Friday night. 

That defensive intensity brandished by the Cardinals forced a season-high 29 turnovers by SUNY Geneseo, and the home squad was able to put some distance between it and the Knights during the final 20 minutes to earn a 62-51 SUNYAC victory.

The prolific scoring tandem of Brittany Marshall and Kathleen Payne each wound up with 14 markers for the victors (7-3, 2-1 SUNYAC) while Shannon McGinnis posted a game-high 15 for the visiting Knights (6-2, 0-1 SUNYAC). While they weren't throwing the ball away, the Knights were able to hit 42.9 percent (21-of-49) of their field goal attempts. The Cardinals made 21 of their 53 (39.6 percent) shots on the night. 

Slipping under the interior defense erected by the Cardinals, Allison McKenna banked home a wide-open layup for the first points of the league bout with just 18 seconds gone.

Thriving from the field early on was SUNY Geneseo's Shannon McGinnis, who produced the next 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting for the visitors and put the Cardinals at a 13-7 disadvantage with 13:02 to go in the initial 20-minute half.

Matching the long-range assault of McGinnis and the Knights, Payne and Marshall helped the Cardinals draw even with 11:29 showing on the clock. The pair each took their turn knocking down long-range field goal attempts to deadlock things at 13.

Although the Cardinals allowed the Knights to regain the lead on a pair of occasions shortly thereafter, the home team was able to conjure up an offensive response of its own each time. Plattsburgh State found itself back in control for the first time since the score was 4-2 Cardinals a little over 2:30 into the game after Stephanie Linder drilled a step-back jumper on the baseline which made it a 19-17 ballgame.

Bridgit Ryan called on a midrange jumper of her own which pulled the Knights even for the last time. On the very next possession by the Cardinals, freshman Jax Miller stepped right into a three-point splashdown to give Plattsburgh State the lead for good.

Through the final 9:01 of the first half, the Cardinals' defense did a fine job of constricting the Knights and forcing them into all manner of difficult shot attempts. Biz Reinhardt did connect on a short jumper with 8:12 showing on the clock, but that was just one of the two field goals the Knights would see fall for the rest of the frame.

Slowly but surely, the Cardinals saw their lead rise to as many as eight points after Marshall nailed another three-ball to make matters 29-21 with 1:36 remaining in the opening stanza. Although their offense wasn't exactly the model of efficiency, the Cardinals more than made up for it by holding the visitors without a point for a stretch of 7:24.

Reinhardt finally threw in another jumper from inside the painted area with 48 seconds to go to quench the offensive thirst of the point-parched Knights.

Directly after resuming play after the 15-minute tactical intermission, McKenna earned her third personal foul, sending the 6'2 sophomore to the bench. Yearning to enhance their 29-23 lead, the Cardinals went right to work in the paint with their own tall sophomore.

Devona Paul upped the Cardinals' edge to 32-23 with a layup and a free throw before Marshall used another long ball to push the Plattsburgh State to double digits (35-25) for the first time with 15:56 to go in the first SUNYAC game of 2014 for both clubs. A full-court press employed by the home team greatly perplexed the Knights as the Cardinals saw their lead rise. 

McGinnis diminished the Cardinals' edge to 37-29 after sinking a layup with 14:50 to go, but a three-point play by Marshall followed by a downtown basket by senior Brooke Reifinger pushed Plattsburgh's lead to 43-29.

The Cardinals allowed their defense to take care of the Knights for the rest of the evening, allowing their lead to dip below 10 points on just two more occasions throughout the tilt. A three-point play by Katie Vienneau brought the score to 50-42 with 6:24 to go, but Payne and Linder ventured out beyond the arc and sunk back-to-back treys for the home squad which upped the lead to 58-43 with 4:58 remaining.

Misha Green gave the Cardinals their largest advantage of the game – 58-43 - when she rolled in her fourth field goal of the night with 4:01 to go.

In addition to her eight points, Green ran down a team-high eight rebounds and forced a pair of turnovers by taking two hard offensive fouls by the Knights. Linder and Paul each finished with seven markers while Miller and Reifinger added five each.

The Cardinals direct their sights on a weekend SUNYAC sweep when they welcome The College at Brockport to Memorial Hall for a 2 p.m. matinee bout on Saturday. Past members of the Cardinals' women's basketball squad will be in attendance for the team's annual alumnae weekend festivities.