GENESEO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team lost on the road Friday evening, as the Geneseo Knights defeated the Cardinals 56-43 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play. After a big first quarter from Kiley Snow allowed the Knights to get the early double-digit lead the Cardinals weren't able to come back as the Knights secured the season sweep over the Cardinals.  

Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y. / Saranac) and Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) led the Cardinals with 10 points each while Couture added two rebounds, an assist, and a steal and Walcott five rebounds and a block. Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Roy C. Ketcham) also contributed to the scoring effort with seven points to pair with four rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal. Bri Brousseau (Peru, N.Y. / Peru) led the Cardinals in rebounds with seven, in blocks with three, and also poured in six points.

For the Knights, Snow led the way with 17 points and eight rebounds. Kerry Dennin and Audrey Hintz were also in double figures with 11 and 10 respectively.

The Knights got the edge in this game on the three-ball and points off turnovers. While both teams shot fairly close from the field with the Cardinals shooting 32.1% and the Knights 33.3%, the Knights shot the three-ball better at 46.2% on 6 of 13 makes, and the Cardinals only at 10.5% on 2 of 19 makes. The Knights won the turnover battle 12-17 and were able to get 20 points off turnovers compared to the Cardinals seven. The Cardinals had more bench points (16-13), more points in the paint by a slight edge of 28-26, and were able to step up defensively with five blocks for the game.

Plattsburgh moves to 6-10 overall (3-7 SUNYAC) and are back in action tomorrow, Jan. 27 as they wrap up the weekend with a 2 pm matchup against Brockport. Geneseo moves to 14-4 overall (9-2 SUNYAC) and are back in action tomorrow, Jan. 27 as they host Potsdam for a 2 pm tip-off.

Snow took control in the first quarter scoring 13 of the Knights' 18 points. Snow started the quarter with a jumper followed by a Walcott layup. The Cardinals went scoreless as the Knights went on a 13-0 run from the 8:34 mark until the 1:37 mark. Couture ended the scoring drought for the Cardinals with a layup to close the quarter followed by Maggie McGrane jumper that made the score 18-4 Knights after one.

Brousseau got the Cardinals on the board first in the second followed by an Hintz layup. Cardinals scored back-to-back as Couture made a jumper and Walcott a layup that made the score 22-10 Knights with less than eight minutes to play. Both teams exchanged multiple buckets as Hintz and Walcott both made layups, McGrane a jumper, and Walcott a layup again that made the score 30-16 Knights with a little over three minutes left. Smith ended the quarter with a three for the Cardinals followed by a Hintz layup that made the score 36-21 Knights at halftime.

The third quarter saw the Cardinals buckle up defensively and hold the Knights to only 12 points but were only able to score 10 as the Knights' lead still held up after three-quarters of play. The Knights struck first in the third with a three from Hannah Stockman. Couture got the Cardinals on the board with two made free throws. Both teams exchanged buckets as Hintz made a layup and Couture a jumper followed by two Smith layups that made the score 43-29 with less than five minutes to play. Brousseau closed the quarter with a layup that made the score 48-31 Knights after three quarters of play.

The Cardinals won the fourth quarter 12-8 and cut into the deficit but weren't able to come back from it. The first basket wasn't scored until the 7:23 mark on a Dennin and one layup. Brousseau responded shortly with a layup. The Knights hit back-to-back threes followed by a three from Rosie Sculco (Amsterdam, N.Y. / Amsterdam) that made the score 56-36 with less than four minutes to play. The Cardinals finished the game with a 7-0 run that made the final score 56-43 Knights.