Scarlett Kirk recorded team-highs of 13 points and eight rebounds for Middlebury but Plattsburgh State (6-3) jumped out early and hung on Tuesday evening for a 58-54 victory over the Panthers inside Pepin Gym. Middlebury slips to 4-6 for the season and will open NESCAC action Friday at home against Bates at 6:00 p.m.

Plattsburgh State scored eight of the contest's first 10 points and possessed an 8-2 advantage on a three-point field goal from Brooke Reifinger with 11:52 left. Middlebury came back with a quick pair of baskets from Elizabeth Knox and Kristina Conroy and cut the Cardinals' advantage to just two (8-6) with 10:34 left.

However, Plattsburgh State answered tallying the next nine points over the ensuing 3:37 of play capped off by an old-fashioned three-point play by Brittany Marshall. Not done, the Panthers responded with a 9-4 spurt and cut the deficit to six (21-15) with 4:40 left on a free throw from Sarah Marcus, but the visitors pulled away once again and held a 31-20 lead headed to the intermission.

Out of the break, the Cardinals pushed the advantage to its largest of the contest at 14 (40-26) with a lay-up from Devona Paul with 15:44 remaining. At that point, the Panthers began their comeback bid and slowly chipped away over the next 10 minutes of action. The hosts scored 19 of the game's next 27 points and sliced the visitor lead to just three, 48-45, via a jumper from Marcus with 5:48 on the clock.

Not quite finished, Middlebury clawed to within two on a pair of possessions down the stretch including a put-back lay-up by Kirk with 1:33 left, but Plattsburgh State kept the hosts at bay and hung on for the four-point win.

In addition to Kirk's 13 points, Conroy added eight points for the Panthers along with five rebounds in just 20 minutes.

Marshall paced the Cardinals with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with three assists, while Paul added eight rebounds and grabbed a game-high 11 boards.