NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team dropped a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) road game to New Paltz, 62-43, on Saturday evening. Junior guard Rosie Sculco (Amsterdam, N.Y. / Amsterdam) led the Cardinals with 13 points and added two rebounds, two steals, and an assist in the effort.

Senior forward Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) reached double figures with 10 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Junior guard Julia Greek (Long Island, N.Y. / Ward Melville) contributed eight points, a team-high four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Kayla Johannesen (Hyde Park, N.Y. / Our Lady of Lourdes) chipped in five points, two assists, and two steals, while Kathy Peterson-Ross (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) led the team with three steals.

For the Hawks, Brianna Fitzgerald led all scorers with 20 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high five assists. Kayden Cornell added 12 points, Sierra Carter 11 points, and Hannah Vanderzee had a double-double with a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 10 points.

Plattsburgh State shot 34.0% from the field in the matchup, while New Paltz finished at 38.1%. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, though the Hawks connected on seven three-pointers compared to four for the Cardinals. New Paltz also held the advantage on the glass, outrebounding Plattsburgh 40-22, and edged the Cardinals 15-12 in second-chance points. The Hawks capitalized on turnovers as well, winning the points-off-turnovers battle 28-10.

Johannesen opened the scoring with a three-pointer in the first quarter, and after both teams found their rhythm, a Greek layup tied the game at 7 with 5:10 remaining. After both teams exchanged runs, Plattsburgh trailed 12-11, but New Platz tacked on a late jumper to go ahead 14-11 going into the second quarter.

After Sculco put the first points on the board in the second quarter and Peterson-Ross tied the score at 16, New Paltz regained a 19-16 lead with 5:45 to play. Sculco struck again to give Plattsburgh a brief 20-19 edge, but an 11-0 run swung the momentum, pushing the Hawks ahead 30-20 before Plattsburgh went into halftime trailing 30-23.

The Hawks opened the scoring after the break, but Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y. / Johnstown) answered with a pair of free throws, and a Walcott layup at the 4:45 mark trimmed New Paltz's lead to 35-30. As play continued, the Hawks built back up their lead, closing the third quarter on an 11-0 run and taking a 50-34 lead into the final quarter.

A Greek three-pointer opened the scoring in the fourth quarter, followed by a Desiree DuBois (Champlain, N.Y. / Northeastern Clinton Central) layup to make the score 52-39 with 5:52 left. The Hawks continued their strong play with a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 59-39, and despite Plattsburgh's efforts down the stretch, the Cardinals fell 62-43.

With the loss, Plattsburgh State drops to 9-7 (4-5 SUNYAC) and next travels to Potsdam on Tuesday, Jan. 27, for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.