Box Score FREDONIA, N.Y. – For almost 21 years, former Plattsburgh State women's basketball star Alicia LaValley's career point total of 1,436 points held up as the most any Cardinal player had scored during their days as a collegian.   

In 2010 a freshman by the name of Kathleen Payne stepped foot onto the court and quickly showed she was a definite threat to break the all-time offensive watermark that had stood for almost a quarter-century.

Throughout her career, Payne has been on the receiving end of any number of prestigious accolades, from SUNYAC Rookie of the Year to All-SUNYAC First Team member and even a Preseason All-American nod from Women's DIII News. On Saturday afternoon in Fredonia – which has been a record-setting locale for the Cardinals – the Goshen, N.Y., product made sure her name would be at the top of the Plattsburgh State all-time scoring list.

Payne poured in team-high 19 points, and became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the program by connecting on a wide-open layup with 1:00 remaining in the first half and the Cardinals held on for a wild 77-73 triumph at Steele Hall.

"I haven't coached a more talented player than her," said Plattsburgh State bench boss Cheryl Cole, who saw her team's record rise to 12-4 and 7-2 in SUNYAC scuffles. "She's a team player, and while individual accolades are great for her, she'll do anything to help this team win. She's well aware that she couldn't do it without her teammates and she deserves everything she's earned."

Steele Hall also hosted the last two 1,000-point scorers boasted by the Cardinals  - Payne in 2013 and Taylor Armando in 2011 – and has seen three program records fall in the past 24 hours alone. On Friday night, the Blue Devils' (9-6, 4-5 SUNYAC) Becky Hebert became the all-time leading scorer for her team before Tyrone Clark set the Fredonia State single-game scoring mark with a 45-point outburst against SUNY Potsdam. Payne's point total now sits at 1,448 for her career. 

Even though Hebert – the SUNYAC's leading scorer – found herself relegated to the bench, that didn't stop the Blue Devils from taking control of matters for the majority of the opening stanza. Sabrina Macaulay opened the scoring with a three-point play before Brittany Marshall connected on her first long-range attempt of the matinee bout. After Marshall's hit from distance, Payne put the Cardinals on top for the first time with a layup.

A long-range assault keyed by Jamie Warren and Alexis Cheatham allowed the Blue Devils to hang on to their three-point edge (16-13) with 12:42 to go in the opening 20-minute half. Plattsburgh State went on to regain the lead after Tequilla Lloyd connected on a free throw attempt after Jax Miller knocked down a corner long ball to make matters 19-18 with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half.

As the next six minutes elapsed, the teams traded baskets as well as leads until Misha Green ran down an offensive rebound and rattled home a layup to make it a 29-28 ballgame in favor of the visitors. The Cardinals would never trail again, and Marshall sent them to the halftime break with a 34-28 edge after her long trey at the buzzer found nothing but net.

Over the first nine minutes the deciding frame, the Cardinals outscored their SUNYAC rivals 24-15, opening up a 58-43 advantage. Sophomore Stephanie Linder powered the Cardinals' offense during the decisive run, slinging in 15 of those 25 markers including the final seven.

Instead of fading away, the Blue Devils put a major scare into the Cardinals by embarking on a 11-0 offensive expedition of their own to trim the Plattsburgh State lead to 58-54 with 8:55 to go.

Marshall put an end to the Blue Devils' antics with another trifecta before Linder, Payne, Brooke Reifinger and Devona Paul each threw in a layup to help the visitors up their edge to 69-61 with 5:38 to go.

The Cardinals' lead would grow smaller again, as Macaulay converted on another layup to make it a 69-66 score with 2:43 to go.

Three more points from Payne helped the Cardinals' lead grow back to six, but Warren stepped to the free throw line and recorded the 1,000^th point of her career. The adulation of her teammates, who mobbed the Blue Devil at the free throw stripe, turned to frustration shortly thereafter as the home team was hit with a technical foul for excessive celebration.

Marshall stepped calmly to the charity stripe and hit both of her attempts to seal the deal for the visitors. Even though Cheatham's three with 21 ticks left trimmed Plattsburgh State's lead to 75-73, Marshall's free throws with 17 seconds on the clock accounted for the final score.

Linder set a Plattsburgh State career-high with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting while Marshall added a season-high 19 on the strength of a 5-of-10 performance. The Cardinals (29-of-76, 38.2 percent) connected on a slightly high percentage of their field goals than the Blue Devils (25-of-69, 36.2 percent) in an otherwise even game.

With one circuit around the SUNYAC completed, the Cardinals return to Memorial Hall next Friday to begin their second go-round of the season against conference foes. Oneonta State will have revenge on its mind when they take on Plattsburgh State at 6 p.m.