PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team earned its first State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win of the season, edging Buffalo State, 77-75, at Memorial Hall on Saturday afternoon.
 
Junior guard DaRon Hughey hit a jumper for Buffalo State with 51 seconds left to put the Bengals up by two, but on the Cardinals' next trip down the floor, first-year guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson) buried a 3-pointer to hand Plattsburgh State a 74-73 advantage. Buffalo State had two chances to take the lead in the final 20 seconds, but two missed layups ultimately resulted in a rebound by Tabb. The Bengals, forced to foul, sent Tabb to the line.
 
Tabb made the first before missing the second, giving Buffalo State a chance to tie after sophomore guard Robert Richards cleaned up the defensive board. The Bengals misfired on another layup, while senior guard Marlon Todd (Bronx, N.Y./Eagle Academy for Young Men) came down with the rebound. Todd made both his free throws after Buffalo State fouled him with five seconds left, extending the Cardinal lead to four points. Buffalo State's first-year guard Brendyn Cheng beat the buzzer with a layup, but it wasn't enough to close the gap, as Plattsburgh State came away with the win.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 2-13 overall (1-7 SUNYAC) with the win and next hosts Fredonia tomorrow at 2 p.m. Buffalo State falls to 2-14 overall (1-8 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 2 p.m.
 
Neither team was able to sustain momentum in the first half, with the two trading baskets throughout. The high-water mark for Plattsburgh State came in the form of an 8-3 run, and a layup by first-year guard Darren Wright (Washington, D.C./Bard) with 12:05 left in the first half gave the Cardinals their largest lead of the game (20-15). A 3-pointer by Todd with 1:40 remaining in the opening stanza served as the last basket of the half, as the Cardinals entered the locker rooms with a 37-35 lead.
 
Junior forward Erik Salo (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) kicked off the second half with a made layup 1:07 into the frame, but Buffalo State went on a 15-6 run to seize a 50-45 advantage. Salo eventually gave the Cardinals the lead back with a pair of made free throws with 8:33 to go, and the home team earned its largest lead of the half (four points) when Tabb scored on a layup with 3:41 remaining. The Bengals scored six unanswered points to take a two-point lead, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 45 percent (27-of-60) from the floor and 40 percent (4-of-10) from distance while going 19-of-28 (67.9 percent) from the line. Buffalo State, meanwhile, was 43.5 percent (30-of-69) from the field and 50 percent (9-of-18) from behind the arc. The Bengals finished with a 43-32 edge in rebounds, but the Cardinals forced their opponent into 18 turnovers.
 
Salo enjoyed one of the strongest and most efficient offensive performances of his career, scoring 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from the line. Todd, Tabb and first-year guard Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y./East Rockaway) added 14, 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Todd doled out five assists.
 
For Buffalo State, Hughey shared scoring honors with Salo, netting 23 points, while junior forward/center Philbert Weekes scored 20 points and added 17 rebounds.