By Ziaire Ferrell
With only a few weeks left in the season, Plattsburgh State women’s basketball (12-9, 8-6) is reflecting on the moments that connected them and made them stronger along the way. In spite of a few losses along the way, the team is working to keep a positive mindset and work towards the SUNYAC tournament. In their final stretch towards the tournament, the team captains are committed to helping the team finish strong.
Junior captain Jaden Wilson said she is feeling hopeful about how the rest of the season will unfold.
“Overall we’ve had a pretty good season so far. We’ve had a few tough losses that we let slip away, however we’ve had some exciting big wins as well,” Wilson wrote in a text. “If we finish strong in the next couple of weeks we will position ourselves to make the SUNYAC tournament.”
Wilson believes that the team’s ability to shoot from long range will continue to take them further this season.
Wilson leads the team with 45 made threes this season. The team has splashed 145 baskets from behind the arc in total this season, while limiting their opponents to 109 made threes.
“We have six or seven players who can really shoot from behind the arc, which gives our offense a lot of options,” Wilson wrote. “On top of that, we’re able to adjust to different situations and playstyles, keeping the other team on their toes and making us tough to predict.”
Payton Couture, a senior and fellow captain, said she is looking forward to making a playoff run.
“The team’s performance so far this season has been very good. As I am very proud of this team, I’m hoping that we continue to play well moving forward into the rest of the season,” Couture wrote in a text.
The Cardinals win over Brockport in the beginning of the season was certainly a high point. Plattsburgh was down by double digits heading into the locker room at halftime. The Cardinals were able to pull it together as a team and come out with a win.
For Couture, the game against Brockport meant more than just a win, it was a display of extreme effort.
“It was a huge win for us. We ended up defeating Brockport by working together as a team. Everyone played with such intensity and was feeding off of everyone’s energy allowing us to pull out a huge win,” Couture wrote.
In addition to the team’s accomplishments, Couture reached a personal milestone this season. Couture scored her 1000th career point in the Cardinals’ contest against SUNY New Paltz Jan. 25.
“This accomplishment wasn’t just an individual accomplishment but a team accomplishment. As I would have never been able to get to this milestone without the support and help from my teammates through the last four years,” Couture wrote.
The team has four games left in the regular season, and Wilson and Couture know that the road to the SUNYAC tournament won’t be easy.
“We need to focus on taking it game by game. As everyone in our conference is a threat. The SUNYAC is very competitive and anyone can win on a given day, making every game a challenge,” Couture wrote.
Wilson believes that defense and limiting turnovers will be a key in their success to come.
“We need to increase our defensive intensity and focus on limiting turnovers,” Wilson wrote. “If we continue to shoot with confidence and keep that positive energy flowing, both on the court and from the bench, we’ll be in a great position to finish strong.”
The Cardinals are on the road to Oswego State and Canton Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 respectively. Plattsburgh then takes on Buffalo State Feb. 21 and will celebrate senior day against Fredonia Feb. 22.
