MADISON, N.J. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team opened up its 2019-20 season with a 66-59 loss to host Drew University at the Larry Horner C'40 Rose City Classic Friday evening at Baldwin Gymnasium.
 
Senior guard/forward Taylor Durnin (Lyon Mountain, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) scored 11 points, while junior guard Hanna Whitney (Keene, N.Y./Keene Central) drained a career-high 10 points coming off the bench. Durnin and sophomore guard Ly'rell Walker (Yonkers, N.Y./Roosevelt) paced the Cardinals on the boards with seven rebounds apiece, while senior forward Taylor Clare (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) posted two blocks.
 
For Drew, junior forward Erin Frederick, junior guard Julia Ramos and freshman guard Gwen Alberici scored 22, 18 and 10 points, respectively, while Frederick and sophomore forward Cecelia Kracht pulled down eight boards apiece. Frederick and Ramos also dished out four assists.
 
The Cardinals shot 30.7 percent (23-of-75) from the floor for the contest, while the Rangers held a 44-42 edge in rebounds. Plattsburgh State forced Drew into 16 turnovers while committing just 11 of its own.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 0-1 overall with the loss, while Drew rises to 2-1 overall with the win. The Cardinals will play in the consolation game tomorrow against Bates College at 12 p.m.
 
Drew hopped out to an 8-3 lead midway through the first quarter, but a 5-2 Plattsburgh State spurt that ended with a layup by Degnan pulled the Cardinals within 10-8. The two teams traded points, and the Rangers led, 14-10, at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Rangers built an 18-10 lead early in the second quarter before a 3-pointer by Whitney, a made jumper by Degnan and a layup by junior forward Lauren Lawliss (Peru, N.Y./Peru) whittled the gap to 20-19. The two teams battled back and forth, and after Drew tied the game at 26-all with 21 seconds left in the half, junior guard Theresa Quinn (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) hit a 3-pointer right before time expired to hand Plattsburgh State a 29-26 halftime lead.
 
Drew led by as many as seven points in the third quarter, but a 6-0 Cardinal surge that was capped off by a Whitney jumper with 1:33 left in the third trimmed the differential to 40-39. Durnin squared the score at 42-all on the last possession of the period, burying a jumper before the buzzer.
 
The Rangers pulled ahead for good early in the fourth, using a nine-point run to seize a 59-47 edge with 5:06 left in regulation. While the Cardinals eventually cut the lead to six following a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Kayla Doody (Troy, N.Y./Tamarac), they were unable to get any closer, and Drew pulled out the victory.