CORTLAND, N.Y. – First-year guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson) came within one point of his career high, scoring 24 points in the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team's 95-61 loss to SUNY Cortland in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday evening at Corey Gym.
 
Junior forward Erik Salo (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) also scored in double figures for the Cardinals, netting 14 points to go along with eight rebounds.
 
Cortland's junior forward/center Austin Grunder had a triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, while senior guard Riley McEvoy led all Red Dragon scorers with 20 points in 23 minutes coming off the bench. Sophomore guard Danny Linehan and senior guard A.J. Lawton scored 18 and 15 points, respectively.
 
The Red Dragons torched the nets, shooting 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor and 51.4 percent (18-of-35) from 3-point distance, including a 66.7 percent (10-of-15) clip from long range in the first half. The Cardinals shot 34.3 percent (23-of-67) from the field, while Cortland finished with a slight 42-38 edge in rebounds.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 2-17 overall (1-11 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits conference-leading and 17th-ranked Oswego State tomorrow at 4 p.m. Cortland rises to 9-10 overall (5-7 SUNYAC) with the win and hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 4 p.m.
 
While Linehan scored for Cortland on its first possession of the game, senior forward Kyle Cary (Selkirk, N.Y./Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) tied the score two minutes later. Salo answered a Grunder 3-pointer with a layup, but Cortland proceeded to go on a 13-2 run to take an 18-6 advantage. Cortland saw its 12-point lead dwindle down to seven after a tip-in layup by Salo and a 3-pointer by Tabb midway through the first half, and the two teams traded points until a 14-0 Red Dragon surge put the home team on top, 47-23. Cortland took a 56-33 lead into the locker rooms at the half.
 
The high-water mark for Plattsburgh State in the second half came when Tabb hit a 3-pointer and senior guard/forward Sheriff Conteh (Bronx, N.Y./Our Saviour Lutheran) converted on a layup midway through the period to pull within 23, but Cortland led by as many 34 points down the stretch to cruise to the victory.