PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - A strong second half for the Plattsburgh State women's basketball team led them to a 64-50 triumph over SUNY Potsdam on Saturday afternoon, giving the Cardinals their first State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win of the season. Trailing 27-25 at halftime, Plattsburgh outscored the Bears 39-23 with a 49% shooting half to earn the conference victory.
Senior guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) posted a season-high 17 points, adding six rebounds and five assists while knocking down three three-pointers as well. Kortney McCarthy (Peru, N.Y./Peru) had 12 points for Plattsburgh, hitting some big shots down the stretch and Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) chipped in with nine points of her own. For Potsdam, Jakia Howard was the only player to register double-figure scoring and rebound totals but had game-highs in both categories, scoring 23 points and pulling down 15 boards.
Plattsburgh's defense was outstanding in this one, as they held the Bears to 34% shooting from the field and just 14% from three-point territory. The Cards also shot the ball well, shooting a season-best 41% from the floor and a season-best 35% from three with nine three-point makes.
The Cardinals move to 4-8 and 1-5 in SUNYAC play with the win, next matching up with NVU-Johnson at home on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. Potsdam falls to 3-7 and 2-4 in conference play with the loss and will next play Fredonia on Jan. 13 on the road.
For the Cards, Smith got the team off to a great start, hitting on her first three shots, including two three-pointers, to put her team ahead 8-6 at the 6:28 mark. A back-and-forth ensued for the remainder of the first period, as the teams were deadlocked at 14 points apiece. Much of the same occurred for the second period, as the Cardinals used the three-ball to keep them in the game against the Bears, with Wilson hitting a three early in the quarter and Izzy Wilbur (Red Creek, N.Y./Red Creek) knocking down consecutive three-point attempts. Wilbur ranks eighth in the conference in three-point shooting, shooting the ball at a 36.4% clip this season.
Trailing by two points at halftime, the Plattsburgh offense turned it up and the defense stayed strong, utilizing a strong third-quarter finish to build their lead. After a Bella Barner three put up Potsdam 35-33 with 3:47 to go in the third, the Cards finished the period on a 10-3 run, which was started by back-to-back Bri Brousseau (Peru, N.Y./Peru) layups and finished by a McCarthy jump shot to put the team up 43-38. Plattsburgh slowly began to separate in the fourth quarter, building to a double-digit lead thanks to more hot shooting from downtown. Consecutive three-point makes by McCarthy helped put the team up by 11 points, and Smith put the final stamp on the win with a three-point make with under a minute in a half to go to make the lead 16 points. The Bears would add one more bucket before the Cards ran the clock out, earning their first SUNYAC win of the year.
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