Box Score NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – After registering as least 10 points through the first four games of his final collegiate campaign, Plattsburgh State's John Perez found himself mired in a seven-game stretch that saw him reach the double-digit scoring plateau on only two occasions.
On Friday night, the North Rockland, N.Y., product may have busted out of that slump.
Perez poured in a career and game-high 28 points and Edward Correa reset his career high for the third time in four games by dropping 25 on 7-of-11 three-point shooting as the Cardinals coasted to a 95-81 triumph over New Paltz at the Hawk Center.
The Cardinals (9-3, 3-2 SUNYAC) did not suffer from a lack of offense, thanks to a 55.4 percent (31-of-56) performance from the field. Senior Shavar Fields pulled down a career and game-high 11 rebounds, helping his squad to a 38-36 rebounding advantage over the Hawks (5-8, 2-4 SUNYAC).
Looking to avoid back-to-back SUNYAC setbacks for the first time since February 17-18 of 2012, the Cardinals engaged in a back-and-forth game with the Hawks through the first 91 seconds of the league dispute.
Taylor Sowah handed the Hawks their first of three early leads as his jump shot broke the scoring seal before Shamoy McIntosh returned the favor with a downtown swish to account for the Cardinals' first trio of points with 51 seconds gone.
The final lead the Hawks would possess came off Keegan Donovan's mid-range basket which made matters 6-5. Shortly thereafter, the Cardinals would begin to string together points at an astonishing pace.
Led by Perez, who was more than willing to shred whatever interior defense the Hawks constructed in an attempt to oppose his progress through the lane, the Cardinals set off on a 17-0 scoring blitz that spanned 4:23. Senior Chris Manning kicked things off by splashing a long-range field goal before Perez slung in five consecutive points as part of his total of eight during the extended scoring spree.
Further victimizing the Hawks were McIntosh and Correa who each added a downtown make to the Cardinals' total. When the dust finally settled, the Cardinals were the owners of a 22-6 lead with 12:29 to go in the opening frame.
Perez was responsible for the largest Plattsburgh State lead of the conference tilt when his layup with 11:41 to go in the half made it a 27-10 ballgame. On the heels of Correa's third three-point bullseye of the night, Andrew Joseph led the home-standing Hawks on a 7-0 run which sliced the Cardinals' advantage down to single digits, 31-22. Joseph banked in consecutive layups to conclude the miniature run before the Cardinals set up shop beyond the three-point arc and refortified their lead.
Xavier Thomas found his stroke from long range, putting in his first career triple before Correa rose up and drained another to up the Cardinals' edge to 37-22 with 7:11 to go in the half.
Plattsburgh State's lead would fluctuate between eight and 12 points through the remainder of the opening stanza. On the receiving end of a great pass from junior Mike Mitchell, Thomas rose up and threw down a monstrous dunk which was the first of four straight point for the Brooklyn, N.Y., product. Thomas would finish the game with a career-high 12 points on a 5-of-5 mark from the field.
Three combined free throw makes by Perez and Thomas allowed the Cardinals to head to the halftime break armed with a 49-37 lead. The halftime session also let the nets cool down after Plattsburgh State had scorched them with a 57.1 percent (16-of-28) mark which included an impressive 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) showing from long distance.
To begin the second half, the Cardinals witnessed their lead dwindle to nine after Nick Taldi buried a long-range basket for the home squad, but an old-fashioned three-point play by senior Shavar Fields followed by a fast break layup from Perez gave the visitors a 14-point (54-40) cushion with 18:42 remaining.
Through the rest of the one-sided affair, the Cardinals saw their comfortable lead dip below 10 points on just four more occasions. The last time the Hawks closed to within nine points was when Taldi connected on another long ball that made things 85-76 with 1:52 to go. Correa pushed things back to a more comfortable margin as he hit a pair of free throws just four seconds later as part of a 5-0 push that put things out of reach for the Hawks.
Plattsburgh State limited New Paltz to a 40.3 percent (29-of-72) shooting performance which included an 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) showing from long range. Joseph put in a team-high 14 for the Hawks while Donovan and Taldi added 13 each. Sowah (10) and Kevin Roach (10) also wound up in double-digit scoring territory.
In order to make it a clean road sweep this weekend, the Cardinals will have to surge past SUNYAC turnaround team Oneonta State on Saturday afternoon. The Red Dragons sit atop the league, boasting a 5-1 record in conference play thanks in large part to junior Zach Mager, who leads the league in scoring (22.1 ppg). Saturday's game is scheduled to tip off at 4 p.m.
