GENESEO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team pulled within a possession of SUNY Geneseo in the last minute of regulation but ended up falling by a 70-64 final to the Knights in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contest Saturday afternoon at Schrader Gymnasium.
 
Down seven points with 2:44 to go, the Cardinals rallied back. First-year guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson) converted on an old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:23 remaining, and after two defensive stops, Plattsburgh State drew within two when junior forward Erik Salo (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) cashed in on a layup with 57 seconds to go. Geneseo extended its lead to five when senior forward Michael Gannon made good on an old-fashioned 3-point play, and the Knights hit their free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
 
Tabb led the Cardinals with 17 points and seven rebounds, while senior guard Marlon Todd (Bronx, N.Y./Eagle Academy for Young Men) matched a career high with 15 points. Salo also reached double figures with 10 points.
 
For Geneseo, Gannon led all scorers with 25 points and completed the double-double with 15 rebounds, while junior guard Cole Kattan chipped in 19 points.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 2-16 overall (1-10 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits SUNY Cortland on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Geneseo rises to 9-9 overall (7-5 SUNYAC) with the win and next hosts Buffalo State on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead, netting nine unanswered points. Todd capped off the spurt—which lasted 1:23 in total—with a made jumper that gave Plattsburgh State an 11-3 advantage. The Knights scored eight unanswered to tie the game at 11-all, but Tabb and Salo each scored to extend the Cardinal lead back out to four. Geneseo scored eight straight points again, and the two teams battled back and forth down the stretch in the first half, with the Knights holding a slim 29-28 margin heading into the locker rooms.
 
Todd nailed a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the second half to give the Cardinals the lead, and they stayed out in front before a modest 6-0 Knight run gave the home team the advantage with 14:31 left to play. Plattsburgh State answered with a 6-1 tear, and junior center Cameron Ness (Clintondale, N.Y./Highland) buried a put-back layup to give the Cardinals a 45-44 advantage. That wound up being Plattsburgh State's final lead of the game, as Geneseo kept the Cardinals at arm's length the remainder of the contest.
 
The Cardinals shot 38.5 percent (25-of-65) from the floor and 75 percent (12-of-16) from the line, while the Knights went 26-of-66 (36.4 percent) from the field and knocked down 84.2 percent (16-of-19) of their free throws. Geneseo finished with a slight 45-40 edge in rebounds.