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  • Plattsburgh State's Kathleen Payne goes to the basket. The sophomore is 22 points away from the women's basketball program's single-season points mark. File Photo

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February 10, 2012

Payne chasing Cards' single-season points record

Tim Pulsifer Press-Republican

PLATTSBURGH — To say Plattsburgh State's Kathleen Payne has had an outstanding sophomore season just doesn't seem to do her justice.

With four regular-season games remaining, Payne, known as K.P. to teammates and coaches, is likely to shatter the Plattsburgh State single-season scoring mark set by Donna Dixon in 1987-88.

Regardless of how the season plays out, Payne's play will undoubtably go down as one of if not the most impressive single-season efforts in the program's history.

The sophomore guard/forward currently sits at an even 400 points on the year, just 22 shy of the single-season record. She'll be shooting for that record tonight when the Cardinals (8-12, 5-9 SUNYAC) travel to Potsdam for a key SUNY Athletic Conference matchup.

Payne's outstanding play hasn't been just about points. She has led the SUNYAC in scoring (21.1 ppg) for most of the season and ranks near the top of the conference in various other categories, including rebounding, steals and field-goal and free-throw percentage.

Over the course of the season, Payne has recorded seven double-doubles. The Goshen native has accomplished all this despite receiving the constant attention of virtually every opponents' defensive game plan.

"I have never seen a player improve that much from one season to the next. That just doesn't happen," Plattsburgh State coach Cheryl Cole said. "Don't get me wrong, she had a great year as a freshman — averaged over 10 points a game and was named conference Rookie of the Year. But to literally double that production just one season later is just a phenomenal thing to witness and something I've never seen in my coaching career."

Cole identified a couple of factors she sees as key contributors to Payne's remarkable, seemingly overnight, emergence as an elite player.

"Last season, K.P. played a different, more supporting role on this team. We had a couple of seniors and ran things mostly through them," Cole said. "After last season, though, she went home and worked very hard, intent on improving her game in the offseason.

"She came back more focused, in much better shape ... and the results pretty much have been there ever since. This year, K.P. has done everything we've asked of her and then some."

While team success occupies a higher spot in the coaches' mindset, Cole does not discount nor downplay the significance of Payne's achievements.

"This is a very exciting thing," said Cole, who can only wonder what Payne might be capable of over the balance of her collegiate career. "Not only for K.P. but, really, for the entire team. K.P. would be the first to say that they made this possible for her."

"This is just a tremendous accomplishment, no doubt about it, and something that, I think, reflects in a positive manner on our program here at Plattsburgh," concluded Cole.

"What she might do next year or further on? There are always areas where you can improve, both physically as well as mentally. But the way I see it, she can be as good as she decides to be. As far as I'm concerned, the sky's the limit for K.P."

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