FREDONIA, N.Y. – Despite holding a 36-27 halftime lead, the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team fell to Fredonia, 61-58, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Saturday afternoon at Dods Hall.
 
The Cardinals knocked down 11 3-pointers during the contest and shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the floor. Plattsburgh State only went to the line on two occasions and made all three free throw shots it took. Fredonia, meanwhile, held a 39-31 edge in rebounds, shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field and forced the Cardinals into 15 turnovers, netting 14 points off those giveaways.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 5-9 overall (2-5 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Cortland on Friday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 p.m. Fredonia rises to 6-7 overall (2-4 SUNYAC) with the win and next visits SUNY Oneonta on Friday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 p.m.
 
The Cardinals scored seven straight points midway through the first quarter, and a 3-pointer by freshman guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) staked Plattsburgh State to a 12-4 lead. While Fredonia's senior guard Anna Chiacchia broke up the run with a layup, while sophomore guard Kayla Doody (Troy, N.Y./Tamarac) hit a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left to hand Plattsburgh State a 14-6 edge through 10 minutes of play.
 
Junior guard Hanna Whitney (Keene, N.Y./Keene Central) nailed a 3-pointer to open up the second quarter, and the Cardinals led by double digits the majority of the frame, with a made jumper by sophomore guard Ly'rell Walker (Yonkers, N.Y./Roosevelt) with 3:54 left in the quarter giving Plattsburgh State a 15-point lead, its largest of the game. The Blue Devils netted nine straight points before Whitney drained a trey three seconds before the halftime buzzer to hand the Cardinals a 36-27 advantage heading into the locker rooms.
 
Fredonia kicked off the third quarter with a 12-4 surge, but Plattsburgh State retaliated with seven straight points. A layup by Walker put the Cardinals on top, 47-39. The two teams traded points down the stretch in the third quarter, and Plattsburgh State took a 50-43 advantage into the fourth quarter.
 
The Blue Devils scored the first four points of the fourth quarter before junior guard Theresa Quinn (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) drained a 3-pointer with 8:31 remaining to extend the Cardinal advantage back to six. A 9-2 Fredonia run gave the Blue Devils a one-point lead before Doody hit a trey on Plattsburgh State's next possession to put the Cardinals up, 58-56, with 4:11 left. Fredonia buried the final five points of the game and wound up posting a 61-58 come-from-behind win.
 
Smith scored a career-high 17 points coming off the bench, while Doody and Walker drained 13 and 10 points, respectively. Doody also pulled down six rebounds and dished out four assists, while Walker grabbed seven boards.
 
For Fredonia, Chiacchia scored 17 points, while sophomore forward Morgan Davis recorded 14 points coming off the bench. Sophomore guard/forward Katie Pitcher also reached double figures in scoring with 12 points. Chiacchia also doled out five assists and grabbed four rebounds, while Pitcher had six rebounds and four assists.