POTSDAM, N.Y. –Graduate forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) became the eighth player in SUNY Potsdam women's basketball history to reach 1,000 points, but Plattsburgh State (6-5, 3-2 SUNYAC) edged the Bears (5-6, 1-4) 49-45. Howard scored 12 points and grabbed six boards to lead Potsdam. She now has 1,008 career points, good for eighth place on the program's all-time scoring list.
 
Bears junior forward Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) got off to a hot start for Potsdam. She hit a jumper at 6:53 and scored from long range at 5:09, giving the Bears the lead each time. The Cardinals answered with six straight to grab a 13-7 lead at 2:52. Sophomore guard Jaden Wilson (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) scored five of the points for the Cardinals. Junior guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) scored on a jumper with 51 seconds left in the quarter and the Bears were down 13-9 after 10 minutes.
 
Howard got her first bucket early in the second to close the gap to two points. With Potsdam down 13-12, Plattsburgh pulled away again with five straight points from freshman guard Selma Deisz (Bekkestua, Norway/Nadderud VGS). Howard ended the run with a 3-pointer at 4:22, giving her 1,001 points for her career. The Cardinals managed to stay just out in front. At 1:44, junior guard Barbara Bruno (Bronx, N.Y./Brooklyn HS for Law and Tech) made a layup and Potsdam was down 21-18. However, Plattsburgh junior guard Payton Couture (Redford, N.Y./Saranac) scored the final four points of the half and the Cardinals led 25-18 at the break.
 
Plattsburgh started the third quarter on another 6-0 run and extended its lead to 31-18 at 5:58. An 10-0 stretch by the Bears got them back within 31-28 with 49 seconds left. Bruno scored four of the points and the rest came from Cotter, junior guard Zavia Jaime (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) and junior guard Mikayla Shipley (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville Chili). Plattsburgh got the final basket and led 33-28 after 30 minutes.
 
Howard started the Bears off in the fourth with a layup to get them back within three, but Cardinals graduate student guard Mya Smith (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) countered with back-to-back threes and freshman guard Julia Greek (Long Island, N.Y./Ward Melville) added a third and Plattsburgh was up 42-30 with 7:54 to play. Over the next six minutes, the Bears rallied for 11 in-a-row to narrow the lead down to 42-41 at 3:22. Bruno scored four of the points and Cotter punctuated the run with an old fashioned 3-point play. Shipley hit a jumper with 1:15 left to make it a one point game. Dueling free throws over the next few seconds decided the contest. Howard scored on a layup at 0:14 to get the Bears within 47-45, but two final free throws from Smith closed out Plattsburgh's 49-45 victory.
 
Cotter finished with 10 points and five boards and Bruno also scored 10 points, while grabbing five rebounds.
 
Couture led the Cards with 12 points and six rebounds. Deisz contributed 11 points and Smith scored 10.
 
Howard is just two points behind Rachel Graf '11 for seventh place on the scoring list. She also ranks fourth on the Bears' rebound list with 666 boards.
 
The Bears are back in action on Friday evening when they host SUNY Geneseo at 5:30 p.m.