PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Freshman forward Frannie Merkel (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) notched her fifth double-double of the season with a career-high 28 points and 14 rebounds, but the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team lost an 80-78 heartbreaker to The College at Brockport in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall.
 
Down by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, Plattsburgh State stormed back, going on an 8-0 run spanning two quarters to draw within two (56-54). The two teams battled back and forth until six unanswered Golden Eagle points seemingly put the game out of reach, as a pair of free throws by freshman guard Olivia LeBaron handed the visitors a 75-68 edge.
 
The Cardinals, however, showed mettle in the final 1:13 of the contest. Freshman guard/forward Olivia Souky (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) drained a 3-pointer to trim the gap to four (75-71) before junior forward Lindsay Johnson beat the shot clock on the Golden Eagles' next possession with a highlight-reel made basket from a seated position. Merkel countered with a basket off a feed from senior guard Moe Jones (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport), and following a turnover by Brockport and two missed free throws by Plattsburgh State, freshman forward Emily Merrill extended the Golden Eagles' advantage by going 1-of-2 at the line.
 
Following a Plattsburgh State 30-second timeout, Merkel got fouled and made both free throws to pull the Cardinals within three (78-75), but an intentional foul on the ensuing possession allowed Brockport to go 1-of-2 from the line before receiving possession of the ball. Freshman guard Sarah Bonner (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) came up with the Cardinals' biggest stop of the afternoon after picking off senior guard Faith Welch on the inbounds pass, and senior guard Jax Miller (Argyle, N.Y./Argyle) scored on a layup, drew a foul and knocked down the continuation free throw to make it a one-point game.
 
Forced to foul once again, the Cardinals sent Johnson to the line, who made the first and missed the second. Merkel came up with the defensive rebound, giving Plattsburgh State nine seconds to produce the equalizer. A jump ball with less than a second to go, however, went Brockport's way, and the Golden Eagles escaped with the win.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 4-4 overall (1-3 SUNYAC) with the loss and next competes at the Cruzin Classic in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from Sunday-Monday, Dec. 18-19. While there, the Cardinals will face the University of Southern Maine on Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. and William Smith College on Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. Brockport rises to 2-7 overall (2-2 SUNYAC) with the win and next competes at the Holiday Classic hosted by Roanoke College from Thursday-Friday, Dec. 29-30.
 
The 3-point ball was kind to the Cardinals in the early stages of the contest, as they connected on four long-range shots and led by as many as 14 points following a layup by Jones with 2:33 left in the first quarter. A 7-2 Brockport run, however, cut the deficit to 22-13 heading into the end of the first period.
 
Brockport outscored Plattsburgh State by a 26-11 margin in the second quarter, and an 11-0 Golden Eagle surge locked the visitors into a three-point cushion. Brockport led by as many as eight points in the quarter—which came off a Johnson 3-pointer with 11 seconds before the buzzer—but Merkel countered with a layup two seconds before the horn to cut the deficit to 39-33 heading into the locker rooms.
 
Though the Cardinals hung tough in the third quarter and pulled within two off a Miller jumper with 6:03 to go in the period, the Golden Eagles went on a 10-0 spurt to break open a 54-44 lead. Toward the end of the period, Plattsburgh State began constructing its 8-0 run, which it carried into the fourth quarter.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 47.5 percent (29-of-61) from the floor and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from 3-point range, but the Cardinals were hurt by a 41.4 percent (12-of-29) outing at the free-throw line. Brockport, meanwhile, finished with a 51.7 percent (31-of-60) clip from the field and shot 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from distance. The Golden Eagles held a 42-31 edge in rebounds, while Plattsburgh State forced them into 21 turnovers.
 
Merkel achieved her 28 points on efficient shooting from the floor, knocking down 12-of-14 field-goal attempts. Jones scored 17 points, while sophomore guard Bella DePasquale (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) and Miller netted 12 and 10 points, respectively. Miller also distributed the ball well with a game-high six assists.
 
For Brockport, Johnson and Welch led the way with 23 and 19 points, respectively, while Johnson completed the double-double with 12 rebounds.