Boxscore and Play-by-Play

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Cardinal men’s basketball team held a six point lead with under seven minutes to play in the first half, but Buffalo State scored 11 unanswered points to take a lead Plattsburgh could not overcome in an 87-79 loss to the Bengals in Friday’s State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) semifinal game. The Cardinals bow out of the SUNYAC tournament with a 17-10 record.

Chris Ruiz posted a game-high 35 points, shooting 12-for-25 from the field and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed seven rebounds for the Cardinals. Ruiz finishes with 1,611 career points – second all-time in career scoring.

Steve Thomas backed up Ruiz with 19 points, scoring 13 in the first half. Errol Daniyan recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Daniyan ranks fourth all-time in scoring and ninth all-time in rebounds.

The Bengals were led by a balanced offense, with five players hitting double-digits in scoring. Justin Mitchell and Chris Cartwright finished with 20 points apiece. Jake Simmons chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds for Buffalo State.

Plattsburgh shot 30-74 from the field, but the second half proving to be the difference maker. The Bengals shot 56.7 percent in the second half, while the Cardinals hit 42.5 percent of their attempts from the field.