PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Four players scored in double figures for the Vermont State University Castleton women's basketball team on Friday night, but it wasn't enough to get past a sharp-shooting SUNY Potsdam program as the Bears swiped a 79-73 victory in the opening round of the Cardinal Classic at SUNY Plattsburgh.
 
Elise Magro's 16 points were the most on the squad, but Liz Bailey added 15, Arianna Coombs dropped in a career-best 13 and Emily Adams had 10 points for the Spartans (2-2). All eight players that appeared in the game contributed in the scoring column. Adams' six rebounds tied Maggie McKearin for a team-high on the glass. Adams also dished out four assists for VTSU Castleton. As a team, Castleton shot 42.4 percent on its way to its highest offensive output of the season. The Spartans hit 33.3 percent from three-point range and made 13-of-22 free throws.
 
SUNY Potsdam (2-0) was bolstered by 28 points from Jakia Howard, who hit 11-of-21 from the floor. Zavia Jaime had 13 points and Xy'El Bradford and Mikayla Shipley scored 10 each. Howard's 11 rebounds gave her a double-double in the contest and led the squad. Shipley also contributed six assists. The Bears shot 50.0 percent from the floor in the game and made 24-of-37 free throws as the Spartans spent most of the evening in foul trouble.
 
Both offenses exploded out of the gate, with Potsdam leading 21-18 after 10 minutes. The two sides played close again in the second frame despite the offenses slowing slightly, with Potsdam outscoring Castleton 15-13 in the frame to lead 36-31 at halftime.
 
Castleton came out of the locker room ready to rock, with Kathryn Moore hitting a three on the Spartans' second possession to knock the lead back to two points. Bailey then tied the game at 36-36 before Magro hit 1-of-2 at the line to give the Spartans the lead, 37-36. Potsdam got its first field goal of the half more than four minutes in to regain a 38-37 edge. The two teams went back-and-forth some more, with Potsdam holding a slight edge until McKearin snagged an offensive board and laid it in to level the score at 50-50 late in the third. Jaime hit a late layup for the Bears, however, giving Potsdam a two-point lead going into the final quarter.
 
Potsdam extended the lead early in the fourth, but Coombs and Magro scored back-to-back buckets for Castleton to cut it back to a one-point game, 57-56. The two teams traded baskets as Potsdam would work the lead back to three before Castleton cut it to just one on multiple occasions over the ensuing four minutes to make it 63-63 Potsdam. The Bears then went on an 8-0 run before McKearin stopped the bleeding. The closest the Spartans got from there was within five points, 78-73 on a late layup by Coombs. One final free throw by the Bears closed the game with its 79-73 final.
 
The Spartans take on SUNY Plattsburgh on Saturday at 3 p.m. as first-year head coach Kathleen Payne takes to the sidelines against her alma mater.