BUFFALO, N.Y. – Despite a career-high 28 points from junior guard Theresa Quinn (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell), the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team fell to Buffalo State, 79-74, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday evening at the Buffalo State Sports Arena.
 
The Bengals utilized a 12-0 run late in the fourth quarter to come away with the win. Following a made layup by senior forward Taylor Clare (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) that gave the Cardinals a 67-61 lead with 4:08 to go in regulation, the Bengals received a 3-pointer and a jumper from junior guard Katie Villarini to pull within one, while senior guard Liv LeBaron knocked down a trey on Buffalo State's next trip down the floor to give the home team a 69-67 advantage. LeBaron hit another 3-pointer to extend the gap to five, while Villarini made the back end of a two-shot trip to the line with 1:15 left to cap the Bengal run.
 
Plattsburgh State eventually cut the gap to two following a 3-pointer by Quinn with 14 seconds left, but LeBaron put the game on ice by making a pair of free throws.
 
The Cardinals slip to 5-8 overall (2-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visit Fredonia tomorrow at 2 p.m. The Bengals rise to 7-5 overall (3-2 SUNYAC) with the win and host SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 2 p.m.
 
Plattsburgh State jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but Buffalo State netted 10 unanswered points to grab a 12-6 cushion. While sophomore guard/forward Kelly Degnan (Irvington, N.Y./Irvington) hit a jumper to stop the run, the Bengals' LeBaron hit a free throw to give the home squad a 13-8 advantage through one quarter of play.
 
Buffalo State led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter, but six straight Plattsburgh State points on jumpers by senior guard/forward Taylor Durnin (Lyon Mountain, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) and Clare and a pair of free throws by junior guard Hanna Whitney (Keene, N.Y./Keene Central) trimmed the deficit to four. The Bengals ballooned their lead back up to nine before Degnan and Durnin each buried two-point shots to cut the margin back to five. A 3-pointer by Buffalo State's junior guard Kendall Mills gave the Bengals a 35-27 cushion heading into the locker rooms.
 
Villarini made a trey on the Bengals' first possession of the second half, and Buffalo State led by double digits until an 11-0 Plattsburgh State surge brought the visitors within one. Quinn completed the run with a pair of layups midway through the third quarter. Buffalo State continued to hold the lead until freshman guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) tied the game at 48-all with 1:40 left in the third on a layup, and after the Bengals went up by two, the Cardinals closed the quarter on a 7-2 tear. Quinn's jumper with three seconds left put Plattsburgh State up, 55-52, heading into the final regulation stanza.
 
Sophomore guard Kayla Doody (Troy, N.Y./Tamarac) gave the Cardinals a seven-point lead, their largest of the game, when she hit a trey with 7:22 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Quinn matched that margin by answering a Bengal triple with a 3-pointer of her own with 6:21 to go.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61) from the floor and 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the line in addition to limiting Buffalo State to 38.7 percent (24-of-62) shooting from the floor. The Bengals did benefit from a 48.3 percent (14-of-29) shooting performance from beyond the arc, and they held a 42-36 edge in rebounds.
 
Quinn's 28 points were the most a Cardinal had scored in a single game since Durnin netted 28 points against Fredonia on Jan. 11, 2019. Doody and Clare added 12 and 11 points, respectively, while sophomore guard Ly'rell Walker (Yonkers, N.Y./Roosevelt) distributed a career-high eight assists. Clare completed the double-double with 12 rebounds, marking her third double-double in the past four games.
 
For Buffalo State, LeBaron drained 31 points, while Villarini added 18. Senior guard Kaelee Lynch netted 10 points in 11 minutes coming off the bench. LeBaron posted a double-double by pulling down 12 rebounds as well.