GENESEO, N.Y. – Milestones and great defensive play. Yes, those two things were definitely present and accounted for by the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team on Friday night.

Senior Shamoy McIntosh joined an exclusive club by becoming the 14^th player in program history to register at least 1,000 points in a career and five Cardinals put in 10 or more points while holding SUNY Geneseo to its lowest point total since 2013 in a 68-51 Plattsburgh State win in Schrader Gymnasium.

Needing just six points to reach quadruple digits in terms of career scoring, McIntosh accomplished that in the first half as the Cardinals upped their record to 11-4 and 6-2 in SUNYAC games. Instead of relying on their potent offense to simply outscore another opponent, the Cardinals turned up the heat on the defensive end, limiting the Knights (8-7, 4,4 SUNYAC) to a 30.6-percent (19-for-62) showing from the field.

The win, which was helped along by a team-high 12 points by senior Ezra Hodgson, also marked head coach Tom Curle's 300^th NCAA triumph.

Much like what came to pass the last time these two squads did battle in Schrader Gymnasium, a defensive-oriented slugfest was what fans were treated to during the 40-minute bout. Andy Dresher staked the home team to a 5-0 lead with a layup and a three-point hit in the first 1:01.

Countering with an 8-2 surge of their own, the Cardinals used two layups from Ezra Hodgson, a long-range splash from Edward Correa and a free throw make by Reggie Williams to capture the lead for the remainder of the stanza.

Armed with an 8-7 edge in with 14:47 remaining in the opening half, Plattsburgh State stretched its advantage to eight points by slinging in the next seven points which included McIntosh's first downtown field goal of the game.

Xavier Thomas was the individual who pushed the Cardinals ahead by nine points – their largest lead of the half. Drescher terminated a SUNY Geneseo scoreless drought of 3:20 with a layup, but Thomas – a junior out of Brooklyn, N.Y. – bounded the length of the floor and unleashed a fast-break jam before rising up from outside the arc and banging a triple to make the score 20-11 with 8:35 left in the first.

In order to attempt a comeback, the Knights put down stakes at the charity stripe and amassed eight of their final 14 points of the half from that distance.

The face behind the last four scores of the half for the Cardinals, Jordan Moody cashed in another Cardinal fast-break rim-rocker before banking in a layup with under a minute remaining. Devon Anderson, though, cut the Cardinals' lead to five at the break with his close-range bank shot with 31 ticks on the play clock.

With the nation's top rebounder and 15^th-highest scorer opposing them for 20 more minutes in Gordon Lyons, the Cardinals let the home team pull within three points during an 8-6 stretch in which four separate Geneseo players hit layups.

Before the midway point of the final half rolled around, Plattsburgh State put its balance on display by striking with a 12-4 run which featured scores from four student-athletes. Hodgson was credited with five markers during that span while freshman Zack Coleman added an old-fashioned three point play.

Thomas capped the run with a layup which put the Cardinals ahead 50-39 with 10:31 to go. A double-digit lead was what Plattsburgh State possessed for the remainder of the tilt, but after a pair of free throw swishes from Lyons made things 55-45 with 6:23 to go, the Cardinals still weren't out of the proverbial woods just yet.

Along with Correa, junior Kyle Richardson succeeded in putting the Cardinals' latest victory on ice with a timely barrage of long-range moneyballs. Richardson banged home a pair between a deep hit from Correa, pushing the Plattsburgh State lead to 17, 64-47, with 4:35 to go.

Plattsburgh State closed out what was arguably its finest defensive effort of the season by allowing the Knights to net just six points during the last 6:20 of the game. Handling the ball was of paramount importance to the Cardinals, too, as they committed a season-low 10 turnovers. 

Thomas and Richardson each added 11 points while Correa and Moody delivered 10 markers each as 35 of the Cardinals' 68 points came off of the bench. The stretch of games in which the Cardinals shoot 40-percent or better from the floor was extended to five as Plattsburgh State finished with a 25-for-59 (42.4-percent) showing from the field. 

On Saturday afternoon the Cardinals embark on a quest for their second SUNYAC road sweep of 2014-15 when they roll into The College at Brockport. Game time between the Cardinals and Golden Eagles is slated for 2 p.m.