Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Although the final score of the Plattsburgh State/SUNY Cortland men's basketball clash in Memorial Hall read 88-71, a sizzling shooting performance in the first half sealed the deal for the home squad long before then.

Relying on the strength of an impressive 65.4 percent (17-of-26) shooting clip in the opening 20 minutes, no final-minute dramatics were necessary for the Cardinals this time in their latest victory over the Red Dragons on Friday night in Memorial Hall.

Leading the way in the wire-to-wire triumph was sure-shooting sophomore Edward Correa who netted a team-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting which included a 5-of-8 performance from downtown. Four other Cardinals contributed at least 10 points to the lopsided victory.

Although the Cardinals' blistering shooting percentage diminished slightly in the last half, the final shooting numbers for the home squad were very extraordinary. Plattsburgh State buried 28 of their 52 field goal attempts (53.8 percent) which included a staggering 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) mark from long range.

Other than a rare midrange jumper from Shavar Fields during the Cardinals' opening salvo, Correa and Ezra Hodgson – who was making his second appearance in the starting lineup since 2014 arrived – fueled the offense for the home squad early.

Just four seconds went by before senior Chris Manning observed Correa taking up an unguarded position beyond the three-point line. The Bronx, N.Y., underclassman splashed his first triple of the game before Manning located Hodgson who fired and drilled a long ball of his own with 1:18 gone from the first half.

A seemingly unending barrage of offense from Correa and Hodgson over the first 6:23 of the SUNYAC tilt pushed the Red Dragons into a 23-6 hole by the time the dust had settled. Correa put in 13 points during that stretch while Hodgson added eight.

A small 5-0 scoring run by SUNY Cortland pulled the visitors to within 23-11 after Blair Estarfaa nailed a long ball of his own with 12:46 to go, but yet another deep three from Correa sandwiched inside four free throw makes by John Perez upped the Cardinals' edge to 30-11.

Free throw makes by Shamoy McIntosh handed the home squad its biggest lead of the opening stanza, 46-19, with 3:43 to go. McIntosh's hits at the charity stripe capped a 12-0 offensive outburst by the home team that spanned 3:41.

A hard-driving layup from Fields early on in the deciding 20-minute period made matters 54-25 Cardinals to account for the largest lead of the game.

SUNY Cortland managed to trim the Cardinals' lead to 82-69 in the waning minutes of the tilt, but that was as close as the visitors would come to obtaining a lead.  

As efficient as the Cardinals' three-point shooting touch was, the Red Dragons' long distance accuracy was anything but. SUNY Cortland finished the game with a 4-of-26 (15.4 percent) mark from the great beyond. For the game, the Red Dragons were 25-of-62 (40.3 percent) from the field and 17-of-23 (73.9 percent) at the free throw stripe. Estarfaa finished with a game-high 22 points to lead the Red Dragons. 

McIntosh finished with 16 while Hodgson and John Perez added 15 markers apiece. Fields rounded out the contingent of Plattsburgh State high scorers with 10. On the glass, the Cardinals enjoyed a 39-29 rebounding edge over the Red Dragons.

Saturday afternoon will see the Cardinals try to even their 2013-14 record against Oswego State at 1-1. Plattsburgh State and the Lakers will do battle on the basketball court beginning at 4 p.m.