PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team was unable to find an answer for SUNY Geneseo in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contest on Friday evening at Memorial Hall, as the Cardinals fell, 73-47, to the defending conference runner-up.
 
Geneseo constructed a large lead and kept the momentum in its favor due largely to a 43.8 percent (7-of-16) outing from beyond the arc. The Knights shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61) from the field on the game and also finished with a 43-32 edge in rebounds. Plattsburgh State, meanwhile, shot 32.1 percent (18-of-56) from the floor and shot 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the line in the second half after not having any free-throw opportunities in the first 20 minutes of action.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 4-3 overall (1-2 SUNYAC) with the loss and closes out the weekend tomorrow with a 4 p.m. SUNYAC game against The College at Brockport. Geneseo rises to 7-0 overall (3-0 SUNYAC) with the victory and meets up with SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 4 p.m.
 
The Cardinals held the upper hand in the early stages of the first quarter, jumping out to a 5-3 lead following a 3-pointer by freshman guard/forward Olivia Souky (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna). The Knights retaliated with six unanswered points to take the lead, one they would not relinquish the rest of the evening. Geneseo led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, and senior guard Katie Durand handed the Knights a 19-11 advantage through one quarter of play with a made jumper.
 
Geneseo outscored Plattsburgh State by a 19-8 margin in the second quarter, with its high-water mark coming off a layup by sophomore forward McKenna Brooks with 1:45 left before halftime, which gave the visitors a 38-19 advantage heading into the locker rooms.
 
Plattsburgh State bounced back in the third quarter, trimming the gap to 38-25 with six unanswered points to open the second half. The two teams traded points until a fire alarm with 5:29 remaining in the third quarter forced a delay in the contest. Geneseo ballooned the lead to 16 before freshman forward Frannie Merkel (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) hit a jumper and senior guard Moe Jones (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a 12-point contest. Senior forward Katie Vienneau, however, beat the buzzer for the Knights with a layup, giving Geneseo a 51-37 lead heading into the final regulation period.
 
Geneseo used an early surge in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach, as it went on a 14-4 tear to break open a 24-point differential. The Knights would lead by as many as 27 points down the stretch and kept their perfect record unblemished.
 
Merkel keyed the Cardinals' efforts with 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and an assist, while sophomore guard Bella DePasquale (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) netted nine points.

Durand provided the bulk of Geneseo's offense with a game-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds. Vienneau added nine points and five rebounds.