PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Sophomore guard Bella DePasquale (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) netted a career-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor and 7-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, leading the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team to an 86-60 victory over Buffalo State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall.
 
DePasquale torched the nets at will from beyond the arc, hitting 5-of-7 3-pointers in the first half before adding two more triples for good measure in the final 20 minutes of play. While no official program record exists for 3-pointers made in a game, the most in recent memory was six when Brittany Marshall went 6-of-15 from 3-point range against SUNY Oneonta on Feb. 6, 2015.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 6-6 overall (2-4 SUNYAC) with the win and next hosts Oswego State on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Buffalo State drops to 5-8 overall (2-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts The College at Brockport on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Cardinals never trailed in the contest, as they fired the opening salvo in a big way by scoring the first 10 points of the game. The Bengals chipped away at the deficit before senior guard Shayasha Spencer drew the Bengals within one (17-16) with 27 seconds to go in the first quarter. DePasquale netted a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in response, however, giving Plattsburgh State a 20-16 cushion through 10 minutes of action.
 
The momentum teetered back and forth for much of the second quarter before the Cardinals opened up a 12-point lead on the strength of a 7-0 spurt. Both sides traded baskets until Plattsburgh State closed the half with five unanswered points, and a layup by freshman forward Taylor Clare (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) with two seconds left gave the Cardinals a 45-31 advantage at the intermission.
 
Plattsburgh State scored the first six points of the second half and eventually put the game well out of reach following an 11-0 spurt that handed the home team a 29-point advantage. The Cardinals led by as many as 31 points in the fourth quarter to secure a season sweep of Buffalo State and vault themselves further into a competitive SUNYAC playoff race.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 48.5 percent (33-of-68) from the floor on the game, including a 50 percent (9-of-18) mark from beyond the arc. Buffalo State did finish with a 40-37 edge in rebounds, but the Cardinals limited their opponent to 36.9 percent (24-of-65) shooting from the floor. Buffalo State turned the ball over 22 times, which Plattsburgh State converted into 25 points.
 
Beyond DePasquale's performance, senior guard Moe Jones (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) and freshman forward Frannie Merkel (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) scored 18 and 11 points, respectively, while sophomore guard Anna Thompson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) netted 10 points in 18 minutes coming off the bench. Merkel completed the double-double with 11 rebounds, while Jones and freshman guard Brooke Benna (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) distributed four assists apiece.
 
Junior guard Caleh McLean and Spencer led Buffalo State with 17 and 15 points, respectively.