Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Breaking records has been nothing new for the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team and the individuals which comprise it during the 2013-14 season, so it may not have come as a complete surprise to see another one fall the night before the Cardinals engage in arguably the biggest game in the history of its program.

In the penultimate regular season game of her awe-inspiring career, senior Kathleen Payne netted a game-high 24 points which broke her own single-season scoring record as the Cardinals picked up a wire-to-wire 69-60 triumph over Fredonia State on Friday night in Memorial Hall.

With her 2013-14 point total at 477, Payne surpassed the mark she set as a sophomore where she netted 476 en route to All-SUNYAC First Team plaudits.

Hardly alone in terms of the heavy lifters for the Cardinals, Payne was joined in double figures by sophomore Devona Paul who turned in a 16-point 11-rebound double-double during the triumph. The win moves the Cardinals' record to 19-5 and 14-3 in the SUNYAC while the Blue Devils fall to 14-9 and 9-8 in conference play.

Although Plattsburgh State didn't enjoy the greatest shooting night of its season (23-of-73, 31.5 percent), it did benefit from a sound defensive effort which forced 21 Fredonia State turnovers and transformed them into 29 points.

 With the top-two scoring squads in the 10-team SUNYAC occupying Memorial Hall for the end-of-week tilt, offense and up-tempo play was not a rare commodity early on. Senior Brooke Reifinger was intent on getting involved in the offense early on, as the Oswego, N.Y., native slung in four of the first eight Plattsburgh State points.

The teams battled back and forth through the opening minutes of the game before the Cardinals employed an 8-0 surge to distance themselves from the Blue Devils.

Payne was the driving force of the small run as she knocked down back-to-back long balls before fellow senior Tequilla Lloyd rose up and hit a short jumper in the painted area o make matters 20-12 with 11:36 remaining in the opening frame.

The only SUNYAC player who has proven to be a better scorer than Payne this season, Fredonia's Becky Hebert sunk a layup before stepping to the charity stripe to put the finishing touches on an antiquated version of the three-point play. That spurred a 5-0 stretch which trimmed the Cardinals' lead to 22-19.

By applying some intense pressure on the defensive end of the floor, the Cardinals made sure that was as close as their foes would get. With 4:41 to go in the first stanza, the edge still stood at three, 26-23, for the home squad before Payne swished a mid-range jumper which began another Plattsburgh State run – this one of the 7-0 variety. Paul banked home a layup during the miniature surge before freshman Jax Miller put a bow on it with a hit from long range.

Fredonia State closed the books on the initial 20-minute period by netting the final three points, but Plattsburgh State began the closing half with a 14-6 run and never looked back.

Paul put in six of the first eight points for the home squad before Misha Green and Stephanie Linder accounted for the next six.

Joining her teammates in the scoring scheme was Brittany Marshall, who drilled a triple before Linder added one of her own to push the Cardinals' advantage to 53-36 – their largest of the evening.

Fredonia State would threaten once more, as Hebert canned a step-back jumper to make matters 63-55 with 1:39 to go, but Payne put the final nail in the coffin by dropping in a hard-driving right-handed floater in the painted area to push the lead back to double digits.

Plattsburgh State got 15 of its 26 second-half markers at the foul line, where they cobbled together a 17-of-23 mark (73.9 percent) for the game. The Cardinals also earned the 'W' in the rebounding department, snaring 50 compared to 41 by the visitors. Grabbing 10 of them was Linder. 

The game wrapped up with Hebert scoring 19 points – slightly lower than her average of 22.8 points per game heading into the tilt. Warren added a double-double consisting of 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds while Cheatham finished with 11 markers.
 
In order to earn the No. 1 overall seed and home court advantage throughout the SUNYAC Tournament for the first time in program history, the Cardinals must now undergo one final regular season evaluation on Saturday afternoon. Buffalo State, which sports and identical 19-5/15-3 SUNYAC record will enter Memorial Hall determined to capture the above honors for itself.

If the promise of the first regular season SUNYAC championship wasn't enough, the game will also serve as Senior Day for the Cardinals' three final-year players - Lloyd, Payne and Reifinger. The drama-filled tilt is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.