PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team endured a 64-48 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) loss at home against Cortland. After hanging with the Red Dragons in the first period, the Cardinals were outscored 19-2 in the second period and were not able to come back ultimately falling 64-48. With the win, the Red Dragons earn the season sweep on the Cardinals.

Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) led her team in points with 12 while she grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two shots, and picked up a steal. Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y. / Saranac) added 11 points, three assists, two rebounds, and one steal. First-year guard Selma Deisz (Bekkestua, Norway / Nadderud VGS) was also in double figures with 10 points to go with her three rebounds. Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Roy C. Ketcham) pounded the boards as she grabbed seven rebounds to go along with 4 points. Kathy Peterson-Ross (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) was impactful on the defense end as she led the team with three steals to go with four rebounds and two points.

For the Red Dragons, Brooke Tillotson led all scorers with 13 points. Lily Woodis was also in double figures with 12 points.

The Cardinals shot well from the field at 40.8% and made 5 of 17 threes at 29.4% while the Red Dragons weren't far off from those percentages shooting 39.3% from the field and 27.3% from the three on 6 of 22 makes. The big factor in this game was turnovers as the Red Dragons forced 26 turnovers and got 22 points off those turnovers whereas the Cardinals only forced 14 and got 14 points from them. The Red Dragons' bench was a big contribution for them as well as they got 25 bench points compared to the Cardinals' nine. The Cardinals slightly outrebounded the Red Dragons 36-35 but only got seven second-chance points and the Red Dragons had double that with 14.

Plattsburgh moves to 7-13 overall (4-10 SUNYAC) and are back in action next week as they take their last weekend road trip of the regular season first matching up against Buffalo State at 5:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 9. Cortland moves to 16-5 overall (12-2 SUNYAC) and are on the road next weekend as they travel to Brockport for a 5:30 pm tip-off on Friday, Feb. 9.

The first quarter was close as there were four lead changes. Walcott got the quarter started with a layup followed by a Woodis layup. Logan Streety gave the Red Dragons their first lead momentarily before back-to-back buckets from Couture made the score 6-4 Cardinals with a little over seven minutes to go. After two made free throws from Abby Wilkinson the Red Dragons regained the lead halfway through the first and went into the second quarter up 16-10.

The second quarter was all Cortland as they outscored the Cardinals 19-2. The first few minutes were a battle defensively as no one scored until the 6:20 mark when Emily Morano made a free throw that got the Red Dragons on the board. That free throw started a 7-0 run for the Red Dragons that ended at the 4:08 mark when Bri Brousseau (Peru, N.Y. / Peru) made a layup that made the score 23-12 Red Dragons. The rest of the quarter the Red Dragons went on a 12-0 run and went into halftime up 35-12.

Couture got the Cardinals on the board in the third with a three followed by a Wilkinson layup. At the 4:37 mark, Sophie Bissaillon made a jumper that made the score 49-17 and gave the Red Dragons their biggest lead of the game (32). The Cardinals fought back and were able to cut that lead to 24 as the third quarter ended 55-31 Red Dragons.

The Cardinals kept their scoring up going into the fourth as they outscored the Red Dragons 17-9 but weren't able to dig into the hole they were in. Smith opened the fourth with a three followed by a Deisz three. Morano got the Red Dragons on the board and made the score 57-37. The Cardinals went on a 9-0 run from the 5:37 mark until the 1:52 mark when Fiona Kernaghan made a layup that made the score 62-46 Red Dragons but the lead was too much to come back from as the Cardinals fell 64-48.