MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team went on a 27-8 run that spanned the second and third quarters, but the Cardinals wound up falling to Middlebury College, 65-55, in their regular-season non-conference finale on Tuesday evening at Pepin Gym.
Despite shooting 32.8 percent (20-of-61) from the floor, the Cardinals knocked down 35.7 percent (10-of-28) of their shots from distance. Plattsburgh State committed just 11 turnovers, while Middlebury held a 42-32 edge in rebounds. The Panthers converted on 42.4 percent (25-of-59) of their shots from the field and went a perfect 10-of-10 from the line.
Plattsburgh State drops to 4-5 overall with the loss and hosts SUNY Geneseo next on Friday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m. Middlebury rises to 10-2 overall with the win and next hosts Amherst College on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m.
The Cardinals hung with the Panthers early, with junior guard
Theresa Quinn (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) hitting a pair of 3-points to force both of the first quarter's tie scores. Middlebury's senior guard/forward Lily Kuntz knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:20 left in the first stanza to give the Panthers a 22-17 advantage through 10 minutes of play.
While Middlebury extended its lead to nine with back-to-back jumpers by senior guard/forward Betsy Knox, Plattsburgh State received field goals on consecutive offensive possessions from sophomore guard/forward
Kelly Degnan (Irvington, N.Y./Irvington) and senior forward
Taylor Clare (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) to cut the gap back to five. The Panthers scored 10 unanswered points to build a 36-21 lead, while the Cardinals countered with the final eight points of the first half. Degnan came up with a steal right underneath the basket and scooped in a layup as time expired to draw Plattsburgh State back within seven at 36-29 heading into the halftime intermission.
The two teams traded baskets in the opening two minutes of the third quarter before the Cardinals began making their move. Sophomore guard
Ly'rell Walker (Yonkers, N.Y./Roosevelt) gave the Plattsburgh State its first lead of the game when she nailed a jumper with 3:52 left in the third, while freshman guard
Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) scored five unanswered points to stake Plattsburgh State to a 48-44 cushion, its largest of the game, with 1:23 remaining in the period. That wound up capping off the Cardinals' 27-8 spurt, battling all the way back from 15 points down. The Panthers' senior forward Maya Davis knocked down a pair of free throws with 49 seconds left to whittle the Cardinals' lead to 48-46 heading into the final regulation period.
A made jumper by Middlebury's sophomore guard Alyna Baharozian tied the game just 40 seconds into the fourth quarter, while Knox scored four straight points to give the Panthers the lead. Junior guard
Hanna Whitney (Keene, N.Y./Keene Central) nailed a trey to pull the Cardinals back within one, but the Panthers scored 10 straight points to break the game open. Middlebury outscored Plattsburgh State, 19-7, in the fourth to ultimately pull out the 65-55 victory.
Senior guard/forward
Taylor Durnin (Lyon Mountain, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) paced the Cardinals' offense to the tune of 16 points and three assists, while Walker and Degnan each netted eight points. Clare pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked four shots to help Plattsburgh State both on the boards and on defense.
Knox and Davis led the Panthers with 15 points apiece, while Knox grabbed 10 rebounds to complete the double-double.
