PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Plattsburgh State women's basketball team is set to travel to top-seeded New Paltz for a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament semifinal matchup at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, at Hawk Center. The Cardinals are aiming to reach the SUNYAC Championship game for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when they captured the title with a victory over former SUNYAC member, Geneseo.

TICKET PRICING: General admission tickets are $7, while tickets for children (ages 5-12) are $5. Seniors (65+) and SUNYAC students with valid identification will be admitted free of charge. Ticket sales will begin one hour before tip-off at 6:00 p.m. at the door. There are no advance sales, and cash is the only accepted form of payment.

ABOUT THE SERIES: These two programs have met 79 times since their first matchup on Dec. 15, 1985. While New Paltz holds the overall series lead, 51-28, the Cardinals have remained competitive throughout the rivalry, posting a 19-19 record at home and earning 28 conference wins. The most recent meeting came on Feb. 20, 2026, with the Cardinals battling in a 56-44 loss.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State enters the semifinal at 16-10 (10-8 SUNYAC) in 2025-26. This marks the Cardinals' second consecutive appearance in the SUNYAC Tournament and first time advancing to the semifinals since 2013-14.

The Cardinals advanced to the semifinals after knocking off fifth-seeded Oswego State, 48-38 in the first round on Tuesday night. It marked Plattsburgh State's first postseason win since defeating Geneseo in the championship in 2014. In the Cardinals victory senior forward Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) led the way with 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for a double-double. Junior guard Julia Greek (Long Island, N.Y. / Ward Melville) and senior guard Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y. / Johnstown) both finished with double figures, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.

As a team, the Cardinals' offense averages 60.3 points per game (PPG), while shooting 35.4% from the floor (fifth in the conference), and 28.7% from long range (third in the conference). The Cardinals rank third in the league in rebounds per game (RPG), averaging 43.7. and average 12.5 assists per game (APG).

Plattsburgh has just one player averaging double figures in Walcott, but the offense features balanced scoring with two other players averaging over eight points a game. Walcott paces the Cardinal offense with 11.3 PPG, while averaging a team-high 8.7 RPG, which is third in the conference. The senior forward battled on the boards to a team-high 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, good enough for second in the conference and shoots the ball at an efficient clip of 46.5%, which is fifth in the league.

Greek and Wilson have been other scoring options for the Cardinals out of the backcourt, averaging 8.8 PPG and 8.6 PPG, respectively. Other than scoring, Greek is the primary ballhandler and averages a team-high and second league-best 4.7 APG. The Cardinals are third in conference from beyond the arc, and the charge is led by Wilson, who is shooting at a 34.3% rate (second in the conference). Sophomore forward Desiree DuBois (Champlain, N.Y. / Northeastern Clinton Central) has been a welcome sight for the Cardinals in her first year with the team, averaging 6.8 PPG.

The Cardinals' defense limits opponents to a 32.1% shooting rate, which is first in the conference, and they grab 31.4 defensive rebounds per game, ranking second in that category as well. As a team, Plattsburgh records 3.6 blocks per game (BPG), tied for fourth in the league.

The Cardinals' defense is anchored by Walcott, who leads the team in both blocks per game (BPG) and steals per game (SPG). Walcott slides in at fourth in the conference in BPG with 1.6 and gets support in the paint from DuBois, who is second on the team in total blocks with 13. On the floor, Walcott has active hands, collecting 1.3 SPG, followed by Greek with 1.0 SPG.

On the boards, Walcott leads the team with 5.0 defensive rebounds per game, while senior forward Kathy Peterson-Ross (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) is next with 4.3 per game and 5.0 overall. Peterson-Ross has also made her presence felt in the passing lanes, collecting 20 steals on the year.

Fifth-year Head Coach Ben Sarraf will make his first appearance in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals after earning the win over Oswego State in the first round. He is seeking his second consecutive postseason win, and first-ever Championship appearance.  

ABOUT THE HAWKS: New Paltz State enters the semifinal at 23-2 (17-1 SUNYAC) in 2025-26 and is currently riding a 15-game win streak. The Hawks finished undefeated at home, going 12-0 and were 10-2 on the road. New Paltz finished as the top seed and have earned the right to host both semifinal matchups and the championship game.

As a team, the Hawks average 65.2 PPG (second in the conference), while shooting 39.6% overall, also second in the conference. The Hawks share the ball well, leading the conference with 14.9 APG.

Brianna Fitzgerald is the engine behind the New Paltz offense, leading the team in scoring at 17.6 PPG, ranking second in the conference in that category. Fitzgerald is an efficient scorer, shooting a third league-best 47.1% overall. She also leads her team in RPG with 8.5 (fourth in the conference) and APG with 3.7 (fifth in the league). Karly Wittenbauer and Hannah Vanderzee also average double figures with 12.8 and 10.0 PPG, respectively.

On the defensive end, New Paltz is fourth in the conference in opponent field goal percentage at 33.0% and first in the league in blocks per game with 4.8. The Hawks also lead the conference in steals per game with 12.6.

Fitzgerald impacts the defensive end as well, averaging 3.3 SPG (second in the conference) and is third in the league with 5.9 defensive rebounds per game, while ranking fifth in BPG with 1.3. Wittenbauer and Vanderzee are also in the top five in SPG ranking third and fourth as both average 2.3 SPG.  

New Paltz is led by 19th-year head coach Jamie Seward, who has made 17 appearances in the SUNYAC Tournament and eight NCAA appearances. Seward has won seven conference titles and is looking to capture his eighth after falling to Cortland in last year's championship game.

WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of the Plattsburgh State-New Paltz matchup will advance to face either second-seeded Cortland or sixth-seeded Oneonta in the championship game on Saturday Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. New Paltz's Hawk Center will serve as the host regardless of whether or not New Paltz advances.

The SUNYAC Champion will earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.