CORTLAND, N.Y. – Kristy Vitucci (Deer Park) hit the game-tying layup with 6.5 seconds left in regulation and Meghan Flanagan (Rochester/Brighton) scored five of her career-high tying 15 points in overtime as Cortland rallied to defeat visiting Plattsburgh, 60-51.
The Red Dragons improved to 7-8 overall and 3-6 in SUNYAC play, while the Cardinals dropped to 7-9 overall and 4-5 in the league.
Vitucci finished with 16 points (4-of-7 from 3-point range) and a career-best nine rebounds and Flanagan was 6-of-12 from the floor and ended with 15 points and nine rebounds. Justine Crespo (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) contributed to the win with 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks and Alaina Lynch (Staten Island/Staten Island Tech) led the team with four assists.
Taylor Durnin scored 22 points and hauled in five rebounds and Kelly Degnan scored 11 points and had five rebounds for the Cardinals. Ly'rell Walker led the team with eight rebounds and Theresa Quinn handed out five assists.
Cortland led only once over the game's first minutes at 2-0 with 7:54 left in the first quarter. Plattsburgh scored 15 straight points to take a 15-2 lead and held an 18-4 advantage after one period. The Cardinals held their largest lead of the game at 16 points twice in the first two minutes of the second quarter and were up 24-9 midway through the period. Cortland mounted a 12-0 run of its own to close within three at 24-21 late in the quarter and trailed 26-21 at halftime.
After the Red Dragons got within two at 27-25, Plattsburgh outscored Cortland 9-2 over the last eight minutes of the third to take a nine-point lead. The Cardinals' lead fluctuated from three to eight points over the first nine minutes of the fourth.
Down 45-40, Cortland cut its deficit to two on a Vitucci 3-pointer with 42 seconds left. That shot came after the Red Dragons controlled two offensive rebounds to retain possession. Plattsburgh missed a layup with 18 seconds left and, following a timeout, Vitucci hit a driving layup from the left side to tie the game. Plattsburgh missed a contested jumper in the closing seconds and the game went to overtime.
Cortland took its first lead in more than 37 minutes of game action on two Vitucci free throws with 4:42 left in overtime and Flanagan hit a jumper at the 3:51 mark. Plattsburgh tied the game on two Degnan free throws and a Durnin layup, but Cortland controlled the game with a 9-0 run highlighted by Flanagan's three-point play after being fouled on a made jumper with 1:44 left.
Cortland shot only 31 percent from the floor and 23 percent (7-for-30) from the arc, but did hit on 15-of-21 free throws. The Red Dragons held the Cardinals to 26 percent shooting overall. Plattsburgh made 5-of-9 3-pointers in the first quarter but were only 1-for-9 from that area the remainder of the game.
Cortland will play a non-league game at Hamilton College Tuesday at 7 p.m.