ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team outscored Plattsburgh State 61-35 after the first quarter for a 70-50 SUNYAC win, Friday evening. The Red Dragons had three players score in double figures with juniors
Sophia Wakin (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) and
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) leading the game with 13 points each. Oneonta improved to 5-9 on the season, 3-4 in the SUNYAC, and the Cardinals dropped to 6-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
Plattsburgh recorded the first eight points of the contest before senior
Molly Stephens (LaGrange, NY/Arlington) knocked down a triple at 7:10. Following a layup from Wakin, the Cardinals went on a 7-0 stretch to go up 15-5. Zuntag ended the first quarter with a pair of mid-range jumpers to cut the deficit to 15-9.
Oneonta tied the game early in the second period with baskets from sophomore
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School), Stephens, and senior
Jenna Harclerode (Sayville, NY/Sayville). Sophomore
Alana Batson (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) drilled a three-pointer from the corner to give the Red Dragons their first lead of the game at 6:46 then regained the lead with another corner three at 5:53 to make it 21-20. Both teams closed out the half trading baskets, but a trey at the top of the arc from Stephens and a Wakin putback gave the Red Dragons a 30-27 edge at halftime.
Junior
Nadia Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) cut to the rim and received a pass from Harclerode to put Oneonta ahead 38-31 at 7:03, however Mya Smith and Payton Couture managed to pull Plattsburgh within two, 44-42, at 2:26. Brown and Schwarzbeck ended the third quarter with seven unanswered points and put the Red Dragons ahead 51-42.
Zuntag converted a three-point play after she got fouled on a made corner jumper, which also sparked a 10-1 run. During the stretch freshman
Megan Desrats (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) got past her defender for a floater, Stephens hit a jumper at the line, junior
Molly Coyne (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) made a putback layup, and Wakin split a pair at the line at 5:37 to put Oneonta up 61-43. Wakin scored the Red Dragons next four points to maintain the 18-point advantage and freshman
Angelena Giuliano (Troy, NY/Catholic Central) capped the game off with a jumper and a trey from the wing.
Stephens finished with 12 points and five steals. Harclerode, Schwarzbeck, and Batson all ended with six points. Desrats led the team with nine rebounds.
Imani Walcott led the Cardinals with 13 points and 17 rebounds. Couture had 12 points and Smith finished with 10 points.
Oneonta had 10 different scorers and had a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers. They shot 39.7 percent from the floor, while Plattsburgh shot 38.0 percent.
The Red Dragons are back in action Saturday, January 20, for a SUNYAC game against Potsdam at 2:00 pm in Dewar Arena.
