POTSDAM, N.Y.—Plattsburgh State (7-14, 4-10 SUNYAC) rallied from an early deficit and held off the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (11-9, 6-8 SUNYAC) 68-60 on Tuesday evening. Junior guard
Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall) led the Bears with 15 points and four rebounds and sophomore forward
Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) had 11 points and four boards.
Potsdam opened the game outscoring the Cardinals 15-7, with junior guard
Madison McCormick (Heuvelton, N.Y./Heuvelton) hitting a three to cap the run. An 8-3 answer had Plattsburgh down just 18-15 after 10 minutes. Junior forward
Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) led Potsdam with five points in the quarter and sophomore guard
Bella Barner (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) had a 3-pointer.
At 7:07 of the second quarter, freshman forward
Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) collected an offensive rebound and scored on a layup to make it a 22-17 Potsdam lead. However, Plattsburgh battled back and finished the half on a 14-8 surge and take a 31-30 lead into the locker room. LaFountain hit a three to make it 30-27 Bears with 2:07 to play.
After Plattsburgh opened up a 34-30 lead on a three from freshman forward Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y./Saranac), the Bears tied the game at 6:44 on a three from Barner and a free throw from Hunter. A layup from Plattsburgh junior guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) opened up a 45-38 Cardinal lead with 3:44 left in the half. Potsdam answered with eight straight points capped by a Cotter jumper with 40 seconds on the clock to grab a lead the final time at 46-45. Couture countered four straight points and Plattsburgh held a 49-46 advantage after three quarters. Hunter added five to her total in the period.
A 6-0 Cardinal run to start the fourth put the Bears on the ropes down 55-46 with 8:27 to play. A final 7-2 charge closed the gap to 57-53, with junior forward
Alyson Crosby (Brier Hill, N.Y./Hammond) finishing it with a layup at 5:38. Plattsburgh responded immediately with a 3-pointer from senior forward Kelly Degnan (Irvington, N.Y./Irvington) and the momentum shifted back in the other direction. McCormick hit another three with 2:31 left to give Potsdam a chance at 63-58 with 2:31. The Cardinals then closed out the 68-60 win at the free-throw line.
Howard finished with nine points and seven rebounds and McCormick had eight points and five boards.
Couture led the Cardinals with 18 points and eight rebounds. Smith finished with 17 points. Freshman guard Hope Sullivan (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) chipped in nine points and six boards and Degnan added eight.
The Bears host Brockport on Friday at 5:30 p.m. to begin their final home weekend of the season.
