PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team defeated Oswego State 48-38 in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament on Tuesday night in Memorial Hall. The postseason victory marks the program's first playoff win since the Cardinals defeated former SUNYAC member Geneseo to win the conference title during the 2013-14 season. The Cardinals featured a balanced offense with three players scoring in double figures.
Senior forward
Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) paced the Cardinals with a team-high 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for a double-double. Not far behind was senior guard
Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y. / Johnstown) with 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Junior guard
Julia Greek (Long Island, N.Y. / Ward Melville) turned in a solid performance with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Sophomore guard
Kayla Johannesen (Hyde Park, N.Y. / Our Lady of Lourdes) led the team with four assists while adding nine rebounds and two points. Senior forward
Kathy Peterson-Ross (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) and sophomore forward
Kaelyn Morgan (Chateaugay, N.Y. / Chateaugay Central) each contributed four points and five rebounds.
For the Lakers, Sarah Hirschler was the only player in double figures with a game-high 17 points to go with eight rebounds. Bri Weaver added nine points and five rebounds, followed by Zhane Holmes with six points, four assists, and three rebounds.
Plattsburgh battled through a challenging shooting night, finishing at 26.2% from the field and 16.7% from three-point range, but made the most of its opportunities at the free-throw line, shooting 72.2%. Defensively, the Cardinals matched that effort by limiting Oswego to 20.5% from the floor and 17.2% from beyond the arc. Plattsburgh controlled the boards, outrebounding the Lakers 58-42, and held a slight 9-8 edge in points off turnovers.
The Lakers scored the first points of the game, but Plattsburgh quickly answered with back-to-back baskets to take an early 4-3 lead with 8:11 remaining in the first quarter. Oswego responded and grabbed an 8-5 lead before two free throws from Walcott tied the game at 8-8 at the 4:49 mark. After back-and-forth action the rest of the way, the Cardinals went into the second quarter down 14-12.
The Cardinals' offense picked it up in the second quarter as Walcott netted a layup and two free throws, followed by a 10-0 spurt capped by a Peterson-Ross triple that made the score 26-16 Cardinals with 2:52 to go. The Lakers closed the quarter with four straight points, cutting Plattsburgh's lead to 26-20 at halftime.
Plattsburgh opened the third quarter with a 4-0 burst, but Oswego battled back and used a 13-0 run to take a 33-30 lead into the final quarter.
After a Lakers basket opened the fourth, the Cardinals went on a 7-0 rally, capped by a Wilson triple, and took a 37-35 lead with 5:53 left to play. A Lakers triple put them back ahead momentarily, but Plattsburgh dominated the rest of the way, outscoring Oswego 11-0 en route to a 48-38 victory.
With the win, Plattsburgh State improves to 16-10 overall and advances to the semifinals of the SUNYAC Tournament. The Cardinals will match up with top-seeded New Paltz in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27, with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
