CORTLAND, N.Y. – There was no questioning the defensive intensity of the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team as it held SUNY Cortland to just 22 first-half points, but the Cardinals couldn't get their own offense going as they dropped a 51-36 decision to the Red Dragons in Corey Gymnasium on Friday night.

Although the Cardinals slide to 9-12 and 6-8 in SUNYAC tilts, they still hold a half-game lead over Fredonia State for the sixth and final playoff spot in the upcoming SUNYAC Championship Tournament. SUNY Cortland hit 22 of its 55 field goal attempts (40-percent) and out-rebounded the Cardinals 44-33 to improve to 18-4 and 12-3 in league tilts.

Plattsburgh State was hindered by a field goal shooting clip of just 22.2-percent (12-for-54). Junior Devona Paul was able to corral a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with four blocked shots, but no Cardinal finished with more than nine points. Stephanie Linder slung in nine points and rounded out her stat line with four rebounds, six assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

The short-handed Cardinals, playing without the services of senior point guard Brittany Marshall, scored the first four points of the tilt. Misha Green broke the seal on the scoreboard by slinging in a pair of free throw attempts before Jax Miller made it a 4-0 Plattsburgh State lead with a layup 2:08 into the game.

Due to their defensive intensity, the Cardinals were able to maintain their lead through the first eight minutes of action. Paul made it 5-4 with a free throw at the five-minute-mark of the first half, but a three-pointer from Brittany Rando put the Red Dragons on top 7-5.

From that point on, the Cardinals wouldn't lead again, but a three-point shooting barrage by the visitors ensured that the Red Dragons wouldn't jump out to too big of a lead during the first stanza. The Red Dragons' edge increased to as many as eight in the first half by way of a 9-3 run, but back-to-back long balls by Linder and Miller drew the Cardinals within two, 18-16, with 2:16 left in the half.

Trailing 22-16 to begin the final 20 minutes of play, the Cardinals got a jumper in the paint by Paul to get within four , but a 13-3 run by the home team took much of the wind out of the Cardinals' sails. Sarah Seger capped the scoring surge with a layup at the midway point of the frame, and Plattsburgh State wouldn't get within 11 points of the home team the rest of the way.

SUNY Cortland made good on 12 of its 24 shots (50-percent) in the last frame and Brittany Dumas finished with game-highs in points (11) and rebounds (11) to help her team secure the win.

Plattsburgh State will look to earn a split on their final regular season road trip of the season. The Cardinals will tangle with Oswego State at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Max Ziel Gymnasium.