GUAYNABO CITY, Puerto Rico – In order to defeat a top 25-ranked team, most collegiate basketball squads would prepare for weeks. In the case of the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team, though, all it took was one practice. Well, that and arguably its best performance of the 2014-15 campaign.

Forcing herself into the forefront of the bout on Sunday afternoon, Brittany Marshall netted 13 of her game-high 22 points in the second half while junior Devona Paul added a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double to help the Cardinals upset No. 25-ranked Ithaca College at Mario "Quijote" Morales Coliseum on Sunday evening. It was the first of the Cardinals' two games in the San Juan Shootout in the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

The triumph marked the Cardinals' first over a nationally ranked opponent since they took out No. 20-ranked Lebanon Valley in the finals of the 2013 Cardinal Classic Tournament a season ago. Plattsburgh State's perimeter defense helped the cause greatly, as it limited the Bombers to a 2-of-21 (9.5-percent) clip from long range.

Also registering double digits in the scoring column for the Cardinals was junior Stephanie Linder (10 points) while Misha Green was her usual high-energy self, netting nine points and hauling down a game-best 11 rebounds – four of which came on the offensive end.

Things couldn't have transpired in a more favorable fashion for the Cardinals who shot 47.2-percent (25-of-53) from the field and out-rebounded the Bombers by a margin of 40-33 in their first action in over three weeks.

Linder and Green each drilled a long two-pointer in the first 2:16 of the tilt to stake the designated visiting squad to an early 4-0 advantage.

Of the next 13 markers, though, Ithaca netted 10 of them – six of which came by way of their sole pair of long-range hits in the 40-minute battle. The Bombers' lead bulged to its' largest of the game when Francesca Cotrupe converted a layup to make matters 12-9 with 14:14 to go in the initial stanza.

From there, the Cardinals employed the offensive skills of a trio of players to embark on a 7-0 surge and regain the edge. Marshall kicked things off by driving past a defender for a layup before Green ventured out beyond the arc and knocked down a rare long ball. Paul capped the surge with a mid-range jumper which made the score 16-12 with 12:24 remaining in the first half.

Ithaca obtained its final edge of the bout by waging a series of battles in the painted area. A quartet of players hit layups for the Bombers, but a pair of Plattsburgh State bench players checked in and made sure their team would stay afloat.

Allie Taylor confounded the Bombers by pulling up and drilling a mid-range jumper before freshman Shawna Thornton dialed up and connected on a triple which put the Cardinals in front 21-20.

The Bombers' final lead came with 7:26 to go in the opening frame as Erin Woop swished a pair of free throw attempts to produce a 24-22 score.

With that, Marshall pumped in five points during a 7-0 Plattsburgh State run. The final-year player out of Malone, N.Y., rattled in a trifecta and dropped in a mid-range jumper after sophomore Jessica Dolan shook off a Bomber and buried a step-back swish of her own in the paint.

Three of the Cardinals final five points of the half came while standing at the foul line. On the defensive end of the floor, Plattsburgh State put the chokehold on the Bombers, limiting them to a 1-of-10 performance from the field over the last 10:06 of the initial frame. In that time, Ithaca also committed four turnovers.

To begin the final 20-minute period, Cotrupe put the finishing touches on an old-fashioned three-point play which carved the Cardinals' 34-28 halftime advantage in two, but Plattsburgh State turned to Paul in order to build up a lead which would be far more substantial.

Of the first 11 points the Cardinals slung in during the final frame, Paul accounted for nine of them by bamboozling the Bombers with an array of nifty post maneuvers. Still, the nationally-ranked Bombers were able to remain within six points after Samantha Klie banged a mid-range jumper.

After Klie's jumper, though, the Cardinals managed to break things open by way of a 9-0 run. Paul began the spurt with two swishes at the foul line before Green took off on a hard-driving move to the tin. The New Rochelle, N.Y., drilled the layup and took a trip to the charity stripe after getting fouled on the play.

Helping to put the finishing touches on the run were Marshall and Dolan. The former stepped to the top of the key and knocked down a three-pointer before the latter pushed the Cardinals' lead to 50-35 with a mid-range jumper at the 12:27 mark of the final frame.

Jax Miller handed Plattsburgh State its biggest advantage of the day when the Argyle, N.Y., native rose up and splashed a long ball to make the score 55-38 with 11:05 to go.
Ithaca made its final push late in the frame when the Bombers used a three-point play by Keri Steele to trim the Cardinals' edge to 63-55 with 5:57 remaining. Linder managed to push the lead to double-digits once again, though, when her two-point jumper sparked a 5-0 Plattsburgh State run.

That turned out to be the push the Cardinals needed to put their opponents away as the Bombers wouldn't get closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Up next for the Cardinals will be arguably their toughest opponent of the season. In a Monday afternoon tropical locale confrontation, Plattsburgh State will match roundball wits with No. 2-ranked Thomas More (7-0) and defending WBCA NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Player of the Year Sydney Moss. Plattsburgh State will aim to spring its second consecutive upset of a top-25 ranked opponent at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday.