PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Plattsburgh State women's basketball team lost their last game of the 2023 calendar year Wednesday night, as the Middlebury Panthers defeated the Cardinals 73-42. After a close first half, the Panthers pulled away in the third after they went on a 12-0 run from 7:55 to 4:46, which extended their lead to 23.

First-year guard Julia Greek (Long Island, N.Y. / Ward Melville) tied as the team's leading scorer with Imani Walcott (Albany N.Y. / Albany) as they both had 11 points. Walcott added six rebounds, and five blocks, which tied her career-high set against Fredonia on Feb. 10, and two steals. The next top scorer was Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y. / Saranac) who had 10 points to go along with eight rebounds. Other Cardinals who added to the overall effort included Kathy Peterson-Ross (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) who had six rebounds and Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y. / Johnstown) who had three steals.

For the Panthers, Alexa Mustafaj led all scorers with 27 points. Augusta Dixon added to the winning effort as she had 10 points and 14 rebounds to register a double-double. Calie Messina also had 10 points.

.The Panthers dominated the boards, outrebounding Plattsburgh 52-33. Middlebury also added 36 points in the paint and 14 second chance points to Plattsburgh's 18 and 6 in those same categories. The Cardinals shot only 26.4% from the floor while the Panthers shot a solid 39.7% as they had 15 more shots than the Cardinals.

Plattsburgh falls to 3-5 and will be back in action in the new year on Friday, Jan. 5 with a SUNYAC matchup against Fredonia at 5:30 pm. Middlebury rises to 5-4 and will be back in action in the Stevens Holiday Classic on Friday, Dec. 29 with a matchup against Stevens at 3 pm.

The first quarter was close once the Cardinals got in a rhythm. Mustafaj opened the scoring in the quarter with a jumper which she followed up with two more jumpers. Walcott got the Cardinals on the board with a layup that made the score 6-2 Panthers with a little over seven minutes to play. Mustafaj kept it up for the Panthers as she scored their next six points. Couture cut that run as she made a three of her own that made the score 12-9 Panthers with less than five minutes to play. Selma Deisz (Bekkestua, Norway / Nadderud VGS) made a layup that cut the Panthers lead to 1 but the Panthers closed out the quarter on an 11-3 run that made the score 23-14 Panthers.

Walcott opened the second with a layup that was followed by a Messina three. Both teams exchanged buckets again as Greek made a three and Messina a layup that made the score 28-19 Panthers with a little over seven minutes to play. The Panthers extended their lead to double figures on a three from Mustafaj and kept up the offensive effort as they closed the half 40-29.

The third quarter is when the Panthers built on their lead as they outscored the Cardinals 22-7. Callie opened the quarter with a jumper and Wilson got the Cardinals on the board with two made free throws. The Panthers then went on a 12-0 run from 7:55 to 4:46 where they extended their lead to 23. Wilson ended the run with a layup that made the score 54-33 Panthers. The rest of the quarter the Cardinals got points from Walcott and Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Roy C. Ketcham) as the quarter ended 62-36 Panthers. The Panthers extended their lead in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals scored only six points and the Panthers won 73-42