NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team's entire starting five reached double figures, but the Cardinals fell to SUNY New Paltz, 89-85, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action at the Hawk Center on Friday evening. The Cardinals' 85 points marked a season high.
 
First-year guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson) scored a career-high 27 points, while junior forward Erik Salo (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) netted 16 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for the double-double. Senior forward Kyle Cary (Selkirk, N.Y./Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk), first-year guard Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y./East Rockaway) and senior guard Marlon Todd (Bronx, N.Y./Eagle Academy for Young Men) netted 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively. Tabb distributed five assists, while Salo notched a career-high four steals.
 
For New Paltz, junior forward Isaiah Bien-Aise and sophomore guard Sean St. Lucia poured in 22 and 21 points, respectively, while sophomore guard/forward Solomon Neuhaus scored 14 points. Sophomore forward Tyreik Frazier scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double coming off the bench, while St. Lucia also posted a double-digit total in rebounds (11) for a double-double.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 42.3 percent (33-of-78) from the floor and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the line, while New Paltz was 46.4 percent (32-of-69) from the field and 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the charity stripe. The Cardinals finished with a slight 41-40 edge in rebounds.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 2-22 overall (1-16 SUNYAC) with the loss and wraps up its season tomorrow at SUNY Oneonta at 4 p.m. New Paltz rises to 14-9 overall (11-6 SUNYAC) with the win and closes out the regular season tomorrow against SUNY Potsdam at 4 p.m.
 
After the two teams traded points in the early going of the contest, the Cardinals opened up a 10-point lead on the strength of an 8-0 run. Todd hit a 3-pointer and made a layup before Tabb capped off the surge with a trey. Ten straight New Paltz points leveled the score at 26-all, but a 7-0 tear, capped off by a pair of free throws by Infante, pinned Plattsburgh State to a 33-26 advantage. The two sides traded runs, with the Hawks scoring eight unanswered points to close out the first half to take a 42-39 lead into the locker rooms.
 
Neither team was able to sustain momentum in the opening portion of the second half, but Cary and Tabb each scored to put Plattsburgh State out in front by six at 62-56. After a Neuhaus jumper drew New Paltz back within four, Tabb made two free throws to push the Cardinal edge back to six. An 8-2 Hawk run tied the game at 66-all, and while Tabb drilled a 3-pointer to give Plattsburgh State a 69-66 lead, New Paltz scored 10 unanswered points and never trailed from that point forward. The Cardinals twice pulled within three points in the final minute on two-point field goals by senior guard/forward Sheriff Conteh (Bronx, N.Y./Our Saviour Lutheran) and Tabb, but the Hawks made enough free throws to prevent Plattsburgh State from having an opportunity to tie the game.