CORTLAND, N.Y. – The fifth-seeded Plattsburgh State men's basketball team is set to travel to fourth-seeded SUNY Cortland in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament first-round matchup tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 20, with a 5:30 pm tip-off at Whitney T. Corey '43 Gymnasium.
 
TICKET PRICING: General Admission tickets are $5, while tickets for children ages 5-12 are $3. Children ages four and under and students from SUNYAC schools with valid identification will be admitted free of charge. 
 
ABOUT THE SERIES: Plattsburgh State is 39-69 against Cortland all-time, as they last beat the Red Dragons in the 2019-20 season in a 76-72 victory. Cortland last defeated the Cardinals this year in a 69-56 victory, which marked its seventh straight victory over the Cardinals. 
 
ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State finished the 2023-24 regular season 14-11 (11-7 SUNYAC). After two conference losses to start February, the Cardinals finished the month on a four-game winning streak in conference play. Their strong finish helped them clinch a SUNYAC Tournament spot after a four-year drought last making the playoffs during the 2018-19 season where they lost in the semi-finals against Brockport. 
 
The team is led offensively by junior guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) and graduate student guard/forward Dylan Trombley (Moriah, N.Y. / Moriah). 
 
On the season, Tabb has been excellent, as he averages 15.8 points, which is second in the conference, and 4.8 rebounds, finishing the conference year with a SUNYAC Athlete of the Week honor. Trombley averages 11.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while junior guard Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y. / East Rockaway) has made strong contributions this year with multiple 20-point performances and finishing the season averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. 
 
Ikechukwu Ezike (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Paul Robeson) anchors the team defensively with 1.6 blocks per game, which ranks third in the conference, and leads the team in total blocks with 41, good for second in the SUNYAC. Other strong performers on the defensive end are Tabb, who leads the conference and the team in steals with 55, and Willard Anderson Jr. (Buffalo, N.Y. / East), who is second on the team in steals with 43 and fourth in the conference. 
 
Fifth-year head coach Mike Blaine will make his first appearance in the SUNYAC Tournament, looking to make a run after just falling short of the playoffs last year. The last time the Cardinals won the SUNYAC championship was during the 2017-18 season in a victory over Oneonta and Blaine will be looking to go that distance again.  
 
ABOUT THE RED DRAGONS: The Cortland Red Dragons finished the 2023-24 regular season 14-11 (11-7 SUNYAC). The team won five of six games in February and are coming into the SUNYAC Tournament off of a 2-0 weekend. 

The Red Dragons have consistently made the playoffs for the past few years, last winning it all during the 2015-16 season against Oswego State. 

This year, the team has four players averaging double-figures on the season, and they are led offensively by Kendall Arcuri with 14.5 points per game, which is seventh in the conference, and Aaron Coston with 13.8 points per game, which is eighth in the conference. 

Arcuri also impacts the defensive end for the Red Dragons and leads the team in steals with 33, which has him sitting just outside the top 10 in the conference. Coston leads the team in blocks with 17 and averages 0.9 per game, which is tied for seventh. 

The team is led by first-year head coach Maurice Kearney, who is a Cortland alumnus. Kearney has won the SUNYAC championship as a player and assistant coach and will now look to do so as a head coach. 

WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of the Plattsburgh State and SUNY Cortland game will travel to top-seeded Oswego State for a semifinal matchup, no matter the results of the Brockport-Oneonta game. Oswego went a perfect 18-0 in SUNYAC play this season and is ranked at No. 5 in the D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll.