NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team dropped a 71-40 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) decision to SUNY New Paltz in its penultimate game of the season Friday evening at the Hawk Center.
 
First-year guard Hope Sullivan (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) led the Cardinals with 12 points, while junior forward Hannah Ruberto (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) scored seven. Senior guard Kayla Doody (Troy, N.Y./Tamarac) pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists, while first-year forward Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y./Saranac) blocked two shots.
 
For New Paltz, sophomore forward Abby Korzekwinski scored 21 points in 23 minutes coming off the bench, while sophomore guard Jenny Walton also netted double figures in reserve duty with 13 points. Sophomore guard/forward Brianna Fitzgerald scored 10 points and distributed five assists.
 
The Cardinals shot 35.6 percent (16-of-45) from the floor, while the Hawks were 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the field and held a 39-23 edge in rebounds. New Paltz scored 20 points off 23 Plattsburgh State turnovers.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 7-17 overall (4-13 SUNYAC) with the loss and closes out the season tomorrow on the road against SUNY Oneonta at 2 p.m. New Paltz rises to 17-6 overall (13-4 SUNYAC) with the win and hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 2 p.m. to wrap up regular-season play.
 
While Ruberto scored the first two points of the game, the Hawks scored the final 10 points of the first quarter to lead, 12-2, through 10 minutes of play.
 
Junior guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) and Couture scored on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to six early in the second quarter, but New Paltz ballooned its lead to 18 with 2:24 remaining in the stanza. Sullivan made a layup and Doody converted on a free throw in the final 2:11 of the quarter to trim the gap to 26-11 heading into the locker rooms.
 
The two teams traded points in a high-scoring third quarter. While the Hawks opened up a 37-19 advantage, a layup and a 3-pointer by Sullivan whittled the deficit to 37-24. New Paltz proceeded to close the third on a modest 4-0 run to take a 51-31 lead into the final quarter.
 
Junior forward Misa Dowdell (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Scholars Academy) scored on the opening possession of the fourth, but the Hawks outscored the Cardinals by a 20-7 margin the rest of the way to pull away with the 71-40 win.