Box Score BROCKPORT, N.Y. – Finding herself drydocked on the bench for three games while battling an illness, Tequilla Lloyd certainly looked eager to return to the floor.
 
The senior joined forces with Misha Green – who chipped in 10 first half points – to help the Cardinals weather an extremely rough patch in the opening 20 minutes and Kathleen Payne poured in 15 of her game-high 21 points in the seconds half to help the Cardinals earn a 69-58 victory over Brockport at Vlogianitis Gymnasium on Friday night.
 
Plattsburgh State improved to 15-4 and 10-2 in league play by shooting 36.7 percent (22-of-60) from the field and forcing 19 Brockport (8-10, 4-7 SUNYAC) turnovers. Lloyd finished with the first double-double of her days as an NCAA player, posting 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
To begin their final SUNYAC road weekend of the season, the Cardinals called on senior Brooke Reifinger to get the offense off on the right foot. The Oswego, N.Y., product was more than willing to accommodate the wishes of her teammates, as she fired and connected on the Cardinals' first long ball of the night just 12 seconds into the bout.
 
Upping their lead to 6-2 was accomplished when Brittany Marshall split the Golden Eagles' defense for an easy layup after Devona Paul split a pair of attempts at the free throw stripe.
 
Instead of relying on strong shooting from the field, the Golden Eagles' game plan consisted of pounding the ball inside and forcing the Cardinals to foul. Paul was the first member of the visiting squad to fall into that trap as she was forced to the bench after picking up a pair of personals just 2:30 through the tilt.
 
Reifinger was the next Cardinal who was victimized by the copious foul calls when her second personal resulted in Brockport's second lead of the game after Kaitlin Hammersley knocked down her free throws to make matters 10-8.
 
Instead of letting the seemingly ever-present foul calls continue to dictate the pace of the game, Plattsburgh State ventured downtown and – with the help of some of the lighter offensive load hefters – regained the lead.
 
Marshall ventured out beyond the arc and kicked off the Cardinals' 10-0 offensive blitz with a triple before Lloyd began to make her presence known. Misha Green spotted the Wingdale, N.Y., senior lurking beneath the basket for an easy layup before Green dropped in the next five points for the Cardinals on the strength of a layup and her first-ever triple.
 
No run by the Cardinals would make the Golden Eagles alter their game plan, as the home squad took off on a 17-6 surge of their own. Alexandra Marshall capped off the sizable scoring spurt with a long-range hit that handed Brockport its final edge of the night at 27-24 with 5:13 to go in the half.  
 
Employing the same strategy that allowed the Golden Eagles to remain within striking distance in the initial stages of the SUNYAC bout, Payne forced her way down the lane on back-to-back possessions by the visitors and was rewarded with trips to the foul line on each occasion.
 
The Goshen, N.Y., product sank all four of her attempts to break the deadlock and push the Cardinals' lead to 31-27 with 2:49 remaining in the opening frame. Green placed the final point of half on the board for the visitors with a charity stripe swish of her own as 2:26 showed on the clock.
 
Continuing to apply unrelenting pressure to the Golden Eagles while they were in their offensive sets, Plattsburgh State stretched Brockport's scoreless streak to 6:01 and saw its own lead grow to eight as Marshall began the deciding frame by knocking down yet another long ball.
 
Holding a 35-27 lead, Brockport foraged ahead behind Hannah Rehbaum, who tipped in six points during an 8-0 stretch for the Golden Eagles. It was another dose of Lloyd which twisted the Brockport offensive spigot closed as the senior took to the sky to place a layup through the Cardinals' nets. She finished off her old-fashioned three-point play with a hit at the charity stripe.
 
After putting a pedestrian six points in the first 20 minutes, Payne came to life for the Cardinals in the final period. A smooth mid-range jumper followed by her first trifecta of the evening accounted for the next five Plattsburgh State markers before a layup from Lloyd and another long ball off the hand of Marshall upped the visitors' margin to 48-38 with 10:53 to go.
 
The Cardinals' triumph wasn't quite wrapped up, though, as the Golden Eagles continued to chip away at the lead. Each time Payne upped Plattsburgh's edge to 11, Brockport responded with a bucket of its own until it finally saw their disadvantage shrink to five points when Bree Fortney sank a layup to make matters 61-56 with 3:18 remaining.
 
All intentions the Golden Eagles possessed to make it a closed game fell by the wayside when an errant inbounds pass found its way into the hands of Payne who easily sank a layup to make it a 62-56 ballgame as 2:50 showed on the clock.
 
From there, the Plattsburgh State's defense held up its end of the bargain and some fine free throw shooting allowed the visitors to exit the cavernous facility with a triumph.
 
Marshall threw in a team-high 15 for the Golden Eagles, who were able to out-rebound Plattsburgh State 41-38.
 
Green and Marshall each finished with 12 points for the Cardinals.
 
A one-hour trip south is up next for Plattsburgh State as they are scheduled to tip off against SUNY Geneseo at 2 p.m. on Saturday.