PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team forced non-conference Northern Vermont University-Johnson into 33 turnovers and never trailed in an 82-46 win over the Badgers on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall in the Cardinals' final game of the 2019 portion of their schedule.
 
The Cardinals shot 36.8 percent (28-of-76) from the floor and held a 50-45 edge in rebounds. Plattsburgh State distributed the ball well, as assists were credited on 21 of its 28 made field goals. NVU-Johnson shot 32.8 percent (20-of-61) from the field, including a 14.3 percent (2-of-14) mark from distance, while the Cardinals knocked down 15-of-25 free throw attempts (60 percent).
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 4-4 overall with the win and next visits Middlebury College in its non-conference finale on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. NVU-Johnson slips to 0-9 overall with the loss and next hosts the University of St. Joseph (Conn.) on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 1 p.m.
 
The Cardinals scored the first nine points of the game in the opening 2:36 of play, with sophomore guard/forward Kelly Degnan (Irvington, N.Y./Irvington) capping the surge with a 3-pointer. While Plattsburgh State built a 19-5 advantage, NVU-Johnson went on a five-point run, and a made layup by junior forward Ellery Kiefer cut the gap to 19-10. Junior guard Hanna Whitney (Keene, N.Y./Keene Central) drilled a 3-pointer to give the Cardinals a double-digit advantage once again, while Kiefer scored on a layup with eight seconds left in the opening quarter to bring the Badgers within 22-12 through 10 minutes of play.
 
NVU-Johnson's sophomore forward Klaire Ware scored the first basket of the second quarter to make it a single-digit deficit for the visitors, and the Badgers hung around until an 8-0 spurt for the Cardinals gave them a 20-point lead heading into the halftime intermission. NVU-Johnson was held scoreless in the final 5:13 of the period, and junior forward Lauren Lawliss (Peru, N.Y./Peru) nailed a jumper with 52 seconds remaining to provide the halftime score of 38-18.
 
A 6-1 Badger run to open the third quarter whittled the deficit to 15 points, but a 9-0 Cardinal surge that included five points from junior guard Theresa Quinn (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) and four points from senior guard/forward Taylor Durnin (Lyon Mountain, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) ballooned the Plattsburgh State cushion to 48-24. The Cardinals continued to cruise down the stretch of the third quarter, and a layup by freshman guard Kanesha Strider with 1:24 left in the third gave Plattsburgh State a 60-37 lead heading into the final stanza.
 
Plattsburgh State outscored NVU-Johnson, 22-9, in the fourth quarter, which included a 13-0 run to close the contest. Quinn netted the final two points of the game with a fastbreak layup with 15 seconds to go, relying on an outlet pass from freshman forward Misa Dowdell (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Scholars Academy) that came from half court.
 
Durnin led the Cardinals with 19 points, six assists, three steals and two rebounds, while Whitney and Strider each recorded career-highs with 12 and 11 points, respectively, coming off the bench. Quinn also reached double figures with 10 points. Defensively, freshman guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) came up with a career-high six steals in 19 minutes coming off the bench.
 
For NVU-Johnson, Ware posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Kiefer netted 10 points in reserve action. Freshman guard Kiana Johnson recorded six points and six assists to aid the Badger offense as well.