PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 21 Plattsburgh State men's basketball team received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament after defeating Oneonta 93-80 in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship game Saturday evening inside Memorial Hall.

Junior forward Jonathan Patron (Huntington, N.Y. / Harborfields) led the Cardinals with 41 points and picked up nine rebounds to become the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Patron recorded 16 field goals to break the SUNYAC tournament record for most field goals made in a game.

Junior forward Ian Howard (Queens, N.Y./Springfield Gardens) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds and added three assists to be named to the All-Tournament team. Senior guard Eric Mack (Roosevelt, N.Y./Baldwin) came off the bench and had 14 points and five rebounds on top of two assists to also be named to the All-Tournament team.

The game was tied three times before junior guard Brandon Johnson (Greenburgh, N.Y./Woodlands) and Mack drained three's to take a six point edge.

Oneonta kept pace with Plattsburgh State trading basket for basket and keeping them within reach.

With 3:09 left in the first half the Red Dragons were within one point but Patron fixed that with a three-pointer. Oneonta retaliated with a three of their own and Mack ended the half with a layup to give Plattsburgh State a 42-39 advantage heading into halftime.

Oneonta drained a three to tie the game 12 seconds into the second half and made a layup to take the lead.

The second half was tied seven more times before the Cardinals kept and took the lead.

Plattsburgh State went on a nine point run with 8:40 left to take an 11 point advantage. Howard made a layup, senior guard Eli Bryant (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides School) drained a three, Howard made two free throws and Patron put in a layup.

The Red Dragons cut the lead to six points with five minutes remaining and consecutive layups from Patron put the Cardinals up by ten points.

Oneonta responded with a layup and Howard made a free throw followed by a dunk from Mack for an 11 point cushion.

A layup from the Red Dragons put them within nine points but the Cardinals capitalized off their fouls and Bryant and Johnson each made two free throws to take their largest lead of the game and the 13 point win.

Oneonta recorded a 51.6% field goal percentage compared to Plattsburgh State's 50.8% while the Cardinals out-rebounded the Red Dragons 44-27.

Plattsburgh State will learn their first round opponent during the NCAA selection show on Monday at 12:30 p.m.