POTSDAM, N.Y. – First-year forward Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y./Saranac) and junior guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, to help lead the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team to a 68-60 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory on Tuesday evening at Maxcy Hall.
 
Couture also stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds and three assists, while first-year guard Hope Sullivan (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) had nine points and six rebounds coming off the bench.
 
For Potsdam, junior guard Dyamon Hunter and sophomore guard Caroline LaFountain netted 15 and 11 points, respectively.
 
The Cardinals shot 41.1 percent (23-of-56) from the floor and limited the Bears to 30.4 percent (17-of-56) shooting from the field. Potsdam did, however, shoot 80.8 percent (21-of-26) from the line and 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from 3-point range while holding a 40-38 advantage in rebounds.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 7-14 overall (4-10 SUNYAC) with the win and next hosts SUNY Geneseo on Friday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m. Potsdam falls to 11-9 overall (6-8 SUNYAC) with the loss and hosts SUNY Brockport next on Friday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m.
 
While Smith hit a 3-pointer in the opening minute of the game to pull the Cardinals within a point at 3-2, the Bears went on an 8-2 run to construct a 10-5 advantage. Sophomore guard Brinley Inglee (Hudson Falls, N.Y./Hudson Falls) eventually cut the gap to two with a 3-pointer with 3:03 left in the first quarter, and the two teams proceeded to trade baskets, with Potsdam holding an 18-15 edge through 10 minutes of action.
 
Potsdam scored the first five points of the second quarter before a Smith 3-pointer and a jumper by junior forward Misa Dowdell (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Scholars Academy) tied the game at 22-all. Junior forward Hannah Ruberto (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) eventually put Plattsburgh State out in front, 27-25, and while a 5-0 Bear spurt that was capped off by a 3-pointer by LaFountain staked the home team to a 30-27 lead, two-point field goals by Couture and Ruberto gave the Cardinals a 31-30 cushion at the half.
 
A 3-pointer by Couture opened up scoring in the third quarter, and the two sides traded baskets until Plattsburgh State netted six unanswered points. A made jumper by senior forward Kelly Degnan (Irvington, N.Y./Irvington) with 4:12 to go in the third quarter gave the Cardinals a 43-36 lead. Potsdam used an 8-0 surge to take a 46-45 advantage, but Couture scored four points in the final 27 seconds of the quarter to put Plattsburgh State back on top, 49-46, heading into the final frame.
 
Smith accounted for four points in a 6-0 tear for the Cardinals to open up the fourth, and five unanswered Bear points trimmed the margin to 55-51 with 7:04 remaining. Both sides exchanged baskets until a modest 4-0 Plattsburgh State run, which was capped off by a pair of free throws by Sullivan, ballooned the Cardinals' lead to 67-58 with 36 seconds left. Plattsburgh State kept Potsdam from mounting a comeback in the waning seconds to come away with the victory.