DAYTONA, Fla. – The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team fell in the Mauro Panaggio Tournament Championship Game on Tuesday evening, as No. 16 Hardin-Simmons took the championship game 69-59. Junior center Imani Walcott (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) paced the Cardinals' offense with a 20-point double-double for her third double-double of the season. Walcott grabbed 12 rebounds and also recorded one block and one steal on the day as well.

Hardin-Simmons is currently ranked No. 16 in the D3Hoops.com Division III Top-25 Poll.

Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y. / Saranac) and Julia Greek (Long Island, N.Y. / Ward Melville) both contributed 15 points offensively for the Cardinals. Couture also had six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks and Greek led the Cardinals offense with a career-high nine assists to go with her three steals on the day. Selma Deisz (Bekkestua, Norway / Nadderud VGS) and Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y. / Johnstown) had five and four points in the effort respectively while Wilson also grabbed two rebounds and distributed two assists.

For the Cowgirls, Aiken Semones and Dylan Koele both had 15 points in the win while Semones had a team-high five assists. Jacqueline Berry led the team in rebounds with 11 and had 11 points while Madison Williams was also in double figures with 10 points.

The Cardinals were efficient from the field shooting 41.8% while the Cowgirls only shot 30.3% and both teams shot 25.0% from behind the arc but the Cowgirls knocked down 7 of 28 compared to the Cardinals 2 of 8. The Cardinals went 11 of 13 from the free throw line shooting a very efficient 84.6% while the Cowgirls shot 66.7% from the free throw line but attempted 24 making 16 of them. The Cowgirls dominated the rebounding game 51-38, recording 19 second-chance points to the Cardinals' six. The Cowgirls won the turnover battle as well, recording 19 points off turnovers compared to the Cardinals' five.

Plattsburgh State moves to 5-4 and next plays in the new year on Jan. 10, when they travel to Fredonia. Hardin-Simmons moves to 11-1 and is back in action next Saturday, Dec. 28 when they host St. Mary's (MN).

Walcott opened the game with back-to-back layups followed by a jumper from Couture as the Cardinals opened up a 6-0 lead. After Walcott put in two free throws that pushed the Cardinals' lead to 8-2 at the 7:26 mark, Hardin-Simmons went on an 11-0 run and took a 13-8 lead at the 1:44 mark. Walcott responded with a layup that ended the run followed by a free throw from Koele and two free throws from Deisz that made the score 14-12 Cowgirls. Following three straight points from the Cowgirls, Walcott made a layup that made the score 17-14 Cowgirls after one.

After a free throw from Hardin-Simmons opened the quarter Walcott responded with a layup but a 10-0 Hardin-Simmons run extended the Cowgirls lead to 28-16 at the 1:47 mark. Greek responded with back-to-back baskets that ended the run while Couture closed the quarter with two free throws and made the score 30-22 Cowgirls at halftime.

The third quarter started with back-to-back baskets from both teams that made the score 34-26 Cowgirls at the 8:05 mark. A three-pointer from Deisz cut the Cowgirls' lead to six, however, five straight points from Hardin Simmons extended the Cowgirls' lead to 46-35 at the 4:24 mark. The rest of the quarter saw back-and-forth scoring that made the score 49-39 at the end of the third quarter.

After a layup from Couture cut the Cowgirls' lead to single digits, Hardin-Simmons responded with five straight points and made the score 54-41 at the 8:36 mark. The quarter continued to see both teams go back and forth as the Cardinals couldn't cut into the Hardin-Simmons lead. A late 6-0 surge from the Cardinals made the score 66-56 Cowgirls with less than two minutes remaining before the Cardinals eventually fell 69-59.