Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Faced with one of its two three-game SUNYAC weeks, the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team got a chance to shore up its game before taking its longest conference road trip of the season. 

A season-high 56 rebounds and 24 forced turnovers complimented by a balanced offensive effort allowed the Cardinals to ease by SUNYAC rival SUNY Potsdam 79-54 in Memorial Hall on Tuesday night.

With the victory, the Cardinals stretch their winning streak to six games and improve to 11-3 and 6-1 in league battles. SUNY Potsdam slides to 4-10 and 2-5 in league play.

As a team, the Cardinals made good on 39.7 percent (29-of-73) of their field goal attempts and out-rebounded the Bears 56-40 – including a 21-10 edge on the offensive glass. Plattsburgh State also forced 24 SUNY Potsdam turnovers.  

Jessica Kouzan began the battle for North Country bragging right by solving Plattsburgh State's defense for a long-range hit 18 seconds in. That 3-0 lead was the only advantage the Bears would possess through the course of the 40-minute bout, and it was especially short-lived thanks to the play of Devona Paul early on.

The 6'0 forward almost single-handedly brought the Bears' offensive plans to a screeching halt, registering three of her five blocked shots in the first 2:49 of the game. On the offensive end of the floor, the Blauvelt, N.Y., product was just as efficient, putting in all but two points during a 7-0 Plattsburgh State surge that finished with her second layup of the night.

Kouzen trimmed the Plattsburgh State edge to 7-5 after making good on a layup of her own, but a 17-4 offensive blitz by the Cardinals during a span of 8:34 broke things wide open.

Off of every basket the Cardinals made, they instantly broke out the full-court press which mystified the Bears on a number of occasions. That press forced seven turnovers by the visiting squad during the Cardinals' extended scoring run, and the defensive pressure only seemed to intensify once SUNY Potsdam reached their half of the court.

The Cardinals forced the Bears into a number of uncomfortable shots, and limited the visitors to a 1-of-8 shooting performance during the stretch.

With their defense playing at a high level, the Cardinals relied on a cast of characters to make their offensive plans a reality. Five players scored points during the surge, including Paul who converted on an old-fashioned three-point play before Brooke Reifinger and Brittany Marshall pushed the score higher yet with downtown swishes.

Misha Green, Tequilla Lloyd and Kathleen Payne added layups of their own to the Cardinals' total and gave the home team a 24-9 lead with 8:24 to go in the opening frame.

Although the Cardinals would watch their lead shrink to 11 after four consecutive markers by the Bears, Payne made the margin even larger for the Cardinals. Her three-point make was the start of a 7-0 run which made the score 31-13 – the largest of the frame – with 6:17 to go in the first half.

Plattsburgh State would never see its healthy lead dip below 12 points for the remainder of the night, and freshman Jax Miller pushed it to its' final 25-point figure by hitting a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining in the one-sided clash.

Marshall did a masterful job facilitating the Cardinals' potent offense, dishing out a career-high 12 assists during the tilt. Paul finished with a team-high 16 points while Reifinger added a season-high 14 on 5-of-10 shooting. Payne, who entered the SUNYAC bout needing 37 points to become Plattsburgh State's all-time leading scorer, finished with 12.

Kouzan dropped in a game-high 19 points and completed her bid for a double-double by hustling down a game-high 11 rebounds for the Bears, who were limited to 30.2 percent (19-of-63) field goal shooting.

With their latest SUNYAC triumph in tow, the Cardinals are set to embark on their longest road trip of the season. In a veritable Friday night fight, sole possession of first place in the SUNYAC will be the prize awarded to the victor of the Plattsburgh State/Buffalo State altercation. Tip-off between the Bengals (11-3, 6-1 SUNYAC) and the Cardinals is scheduled for 6 p.m.