PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team won their first SUNAYC game of the 2023-24 campaign on Friday evening. The Cardinals were led by Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) who led all scorers with 22 points, which was a new career high, to go along with 14 rebounds to get her third double-double of the season. Walcott also was impactful on the defensive end as she added five blocks, which tied her career high that she set against Fredonia last year, and two steals.

Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y. / Saranac) was the next leading scorer as she had 19 points to go with her 12 rebounds as she posted her second double-double of the season. Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Roy C. Ketcham) and Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y. / Johnstown) were also a part of the offensive showing as Smith added in eight points, four assists, and four rebounds while Wilson had nine points and five rebounds. Other players who contributed to the winning effort were Kathy Peterson-Ross (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) and Selma Deisz (Bekkestua, Norway / Nadderud VGS) who had eight and four rebounds respectively.

For the Blue Devils, Allie Wandell and Renee Park both scored 16 points each while Wandell added 10 rebounds to get a double-double and Park led the team in steals with four.

The Cardinals were solid from the field as they shot 41.8% compared to the Blue Devils 29.0% which helped secure the win despite having 29 turnovers compared to the Blue Devils 16. The Cardinals outrebounded Fredonia 54-29 as 15 of those rebounds were offensive and led to 10 second chance points compared to the Blue Devils six.

Plattsburgh State rises to 4-5 with their SUNAYC mark moving to 1-2 as they will continue SUNYAC play against Buffalo State tomorrow at 2 pm. Fredonia falls to 6-3 (1-1 SUNYAC) and will be back in action against Potsdam tomorrow at 2 pm.

The first half was competitive as both teams had leads and went into halftime tied. Walcott opened the first with a layup followed by a Smith three and a Couture layup. Mary Culeton got the Blue Devils on the board with a layup that made the score 5-3 Cardinals with a little over seven minutes left in the quarter. The Blue Devils tied the game twice before they took their first lead at the 2:49 mark on a layup from Park that made the score 11-9. The Blue Devils closed the quarter with a 16-12 lead.

The Cardinals outscored the Blue Devils in the second to tie the game at the half. Walcott opened the second with a layup followed by another from Couture as they tied the game 16-16. At the 7:05 mark the Cardinals took the lead momentarily on a layup from Smith but Sarah Seasom made a three that gave the Blue Devils a 19-18 lead. Both teams changed leads again as both Couture and Wandall made layups that made the score 21-20 Blue Devils. The Cardinals closed the half on a 9-5 run that tied the game at 29.

The Cardinals outscored the Blue Devils the second half and were able to hang on for the win. The Cardinals started the third with five straight points before Park got the Blue Devils on the board with a made free throw. With a little over six minutes to play both teams exchanged buckets that made the score 36-33 Cardinals. With less than a minute to play the Cardinals extended their lead and closed the quarter with a 46-42 lead.

The Cardinals led the entire fourth quarter to secure their first SUNYAC win of the season. Walcott opened the fourth with a layup followed by a Wandell jumper that made the score 48-44 Cardinals. The Blue Devils cut the Cardinals lead to two on multiple occasions but that was the closest they would get as the Cardinals went on a 7-1 run from the 4:19 mark until the end of the game to win 61-53.