UTICA, N.Y. – Freshman forward Erik Salo (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) scored a career-high 17 points and added eight rebounds, but the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team fell, 71-54, to SUNY Poly on Thursday evening at the Campus Center Gym in non-conference action.
 
While the Cardinals had pin-point accuracy from the free throw line (14-of-17 – 82.4 percent), they shot 30.2 percent (19-of-63) from the floor and were outrebounded by a 47-40 margin. The Wildcats, meanwhile, shot 40 percent (26-of-65) from the field, while each team committed 12 turnovers.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 2-2 overall with the loss and next visits Skidmore College on Monday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. SUNY Poly rises to 2-1 overall with the win and visits The Sage Colleges next on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 3 p.m.
 
Salo and freshman center Cameron Ness (Clintondale, N.Y./Highland) scored on back-to-back possessions to give the Cardinals an early 4-0 lead, but the Wildcats went on an eight-point tear to construct an 8-4 advantage. While junior guard Travis Cox (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglass Academy) nailed a 3-pointer with 10:45 left in the first half to trim the gap to 16-15, SUNY Poly netted nine unanswered points to go up 25-15. The Wildcats led by as many as 17 points down the stretch in the first half and entered the locker rooms with a 40-26 lead.
 
The two teams traded points to open the second half, but Salo scored three of the Cardinals' points in a 5-0 run to draw within 44-37. SUNY Poly built the lead back up to double digits two minutes later and cruised through the latter stages of the second half, never leading by fewer than 10 points in the final 10 minutes of play. The Wildcats' high-water mark of a 19-point lead was achieved with 1:30 left in regulation when junior guard Caleb Canty converted on an old-fashioned 3-point play.
 
Salo led the Cardinals' offense with 17 points, followed by Cox (12) and Ness (10). Senior guard Nick DeAngelis (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) provided several contributions coming off the bench, tallying career highs in rebounds (8) and steals (3) while adding six points and two assists.
 
For SUNY Poly, Canty led the way with 26 points, while junior forward Josh Gregory poured in 16 and sophomore center Jesse O'Dell chipped in 11. Gregory completed the double-double with 10 rebounds.