The Oswego State women's basketball team (17-8, 11-7 SUNYAC) was unable to overcome 26 turnovers, as it fell to Plattsburgh (14-11, 10-8 SUNYAC), 65-47, Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16.
Despite the loss, Oswego State is still the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SUNYAC playoffs, but its opponent will depend on the result of tonight's Geneseo/Buffalo State game. If Buffalo State wins, Plattsburgh would earn the No. 6 seed and face the Lakers again. If Buffalo State loses, Cortland would face Oswego State on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m.
The Lakers held a 14-10 lead following a Jenn Robbins (Jr., Geneva, N.Y.) pull-up jumper in the lane eight minutes into the contest. However, Oswego State went scoreless for nearly seven minutes until Taryn Smith (Sr., Ontario, N.Y.) hit a running jumper with the shot clock about to expire with 5:30 left to play in the first half. During that time, Plattsburgh rattled off 12 straight points to open up a 22-16 lead.
The Cardinals built a double-digit advantage, but back-to-back treys by Lauren Nunziato (Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.) and Tayler Sorell (Fr., Hannibal, N.Y.) and a Meagan Stover (Sr., Lake George, N.Y.) transition lay-up pulled Oswego State back to within four points and a minute on the clock. On the Lakers' final possession of the half, Paula Egelston (Jr., Fultonville, N.Y.) hit a turnaround jumper on the low right block to send Oswego State into halftime trailing 29-27.
Plattsburgh opened the second half on an 11-0 run to go ahead 40-27, but the Lakers continued to battle as a Sarah Hansen (So., North Tonawanda, N.Y.) lay-up made it a seven-point game midway through the frame. However, the Cardinals put together another 11-0 run over the next four minutes to make the score 54-36. Stover stopped the stretch with a lay-up followed by another Nunziato trey, but that 13-point deficit was as close as the Lakers got.
Nunziato was the only Oswego State player to reach double-digits with 13 points, as the Lakers were without starters Kari Kipper (Sr., Loudonville, N.Y.) and Evelyn Josbena (Sr., Solvay, N.Y.). Brittany Marshall and Kathleen Payne paced Plattsburgh with 19 and 15 points, respectively, while Payne completed the double-double with 10 boards.
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