OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team rallied from a 28-18 halftime deficit and outscored Oswego State, 18-9, in the fourth quarter to pull out a 56-55 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory over the Lakers at Max Ziel Gymnasium on Friday evening. It marked a season series sweep for the Cardinals, as Plattsburgh State topped Oswego, 62-51, back on Jan. 25 at Memorial Hall.
 
Oswego extended its lead to 55-50 with 1:49 remaining after a made free throw by junior guard Taylor Torchia, and after each team turned the ball over, senior forward Taylor Clare (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) made a layup to cut the gap to 55-52 with 1:11 left. Junior guard Hanna Whitney (Keene, N.Y./Keene Central) drained a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to tie the game, and the Cardinals took possession of the ball following a missed shot by the Lakers with 16 seconds remaining.
 
Whitney was fouled on a 3-point attempt with one second left on the clock. She made the second of those three free throw attempts to stake Plattsburgh State to a 56-55 lead, and while she missed the third, Oswego did not have enough time to score a basket, as the Cardinals capped off the comeback victory.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 7-15 overall (4-11 SUNYAC) with the win and next visits SUNY Cortland tomorrow at 2 p.m. Oswego falls to 6-14 overall (2-12 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 2 p.m.
 
While senior guard/forward Taylor Durnin (Lyon Mountain, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) scored the first points of the game on a 3-pointer, Oswego netted 15 unanswered points, and a trey by Torchia gave the Lakers a 15-3 advantage. Clare and Durnin each scored buckets in the final minute of the quarter to draw Plattsburgh State within 15-7 through 10 minutes of play.
 
The Lakers kicked off the second quarter with an 8-3 surge, but the Cardinals pulled within seven on the strength of a six-point tear that ended with a made jumper by Clare with 3:54 remaining. Oswego ended the quarter on a modest 5-2 run to take a 28-18 cushion into the locker rooms.
 
Both teams traded points for most of the third quarter, but Plattsburgh State started to gain some momentum when Durnin hit a 3-pointer and Whitney converted on a jump shot to trim the gap to 42-38. Oswego extended the lead back out to eight, and senior forward Sydni Eure scored on a jumper with four seconds left to hand the Lakers a 46-38 advantage.
 
The Cardinals whittled the deficit to four after Whitney buried a 3-pointer and Clare made a layup as a part of a 5-1 run, but Eure netted four unanswered points to extend the Lakers' lead to seven. Both sides traded points until the Cardinals scored six straight points to end the game.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 33.8 percent (24-of-71) from the field for the game and forced Oswego into 17 turnovers. The Lakers held a 46-44 advantage in rebounds and shot just 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from 3-point range.
 
Clare scored a career-high 20 points and added 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season, while Whitney netted 12 points in 25 minutes coming off the bench. Durnin stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
For Oswego, Eure scored 20 points and added eight rebounds, while graduate student guard Erin Gantley recorded 10 points. Senior forward Morgan Wolanin and senior guard Quincey Zimmerman tallied 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively, while Wolanin blocked eight shots.