2024-25 SUNYAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals

Fourth-seeded Plattsburgh (15-11, 11-7) at Top-seeded New Paltz (18-7, 14-4)

Friday, February 28, 2025 • 7:30 p.m. • New Paltz, N.Y. • Hawk Center

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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Plattsburgh State men's basketball team is set to travel to top-seeded and defending conference champions New Paltz in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament semifinal matchup at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 at Hawk Center. The Cardinals are looking to make the SUNYAC Championship game for the first time since the 2017-18 season when they won the title after defeating Oneonta in the championship game.

TICKET PRICING: Tickets for adults ages 13-64 are $10 while tickets for children ages 5-12 and seniors ages 65 and up are $5 with cash being the only accepted form of payment. Children ages four and under and students from SUNYAC schools with valid identification will be admitted free of charge.

ABOUT THE SERIES: In a series that dates back to Jan. 15, 1927, Plattsburgh State is 98-43 against New Paltz all-time. This year, Plattsburgh won both meetings in the regular season, winning 83-78 at home and 81-57 at New Paltz. In the last 10 matchups, Plattsburgh is 4-6 with the Cardinals winning the last three matchups, including the final contest between the teams last season. 

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State (15-11, 11-7 SUNYAC) is in the SUNYAC Tournament for the second year in a row and enters Friday's game on a three-game winning streak. Plattsburgh's first-round win against Morrisville marks the Cardinals' first postseason win since 2018, and that was also the last time Plattsburgh made the semifinals where they defeated Oswego State.

The Cardinals have had one of the best offenses in the conference this year, ranking first in points per game (PPG), averaging 79.7, second in field goal shooting percentage (44.5%), and second in offensive efficiency. The Cardinals' defense has also been a strength, ranking first in steals per game (SPG), averaging 9.8 SPG, first in blocks per game (BPG), averaging 4.5, and second in opponent turnovers per game (15.7).

Plattsburgh's offense has four players averaging double figures and is led by junior transfer Kareem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) and senior guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson). Welch has been excellent offensively for the Cardinals, averaging 14.9 PPG, while Tabb has been another backcourt threat for Plattsburgh, averaging 12.8 PPG.

Senior guard Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y. / East Rockaway) and first-year guard/forward Nate Pondexter Jr. (Washington, D.C. / Archbishop Carroll) are other solid scoring options for Plattsburgh as both average double figures in scoring with 12.7 and 10.0 PPG respectively. Pondexter Jr. leads the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 57.8% and has also impacted the Cardinals' offense in the rebounding game, averaging a team-high 3.0 offensive rebounds per game that ranks second in the conference, and 4.9 rebounds per game (RPG) overall.

The Cardinals' defense is anchored by Tabb and senior guard/forward Jeremiah Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y. / East New York Family Academy). Tabb has been a threat offensively for the Cardinals and on the defensive end as he leads the team in steals with 52, averaging 2.1 SPG as he is tied for first in the conference. Smith has been the Cardinals' defensive anchor in the paint averaging 1.2 BPG.

Senior guard/forward Ikechukwu Ezike (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Paul Robeson) has been another key piece to the Cardinals' defense, averaging 1.1 BPG and leading the team with 4.5 defensive rebounds per game and 5.6 (RPG) overall.

Sixth-year head coach Mike Blaine will make his first appearance in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals, looking to pick up the second postseason win of his career after earning his first with the Cardinals' victory over Morrisville in the first round.

ABOUT THE HAWKS: The defending conference champions New Paltz Hawks finished the 2024-25 regular season 18-7 (14-4) with two of their four conference losses coming against Plattsburgh. The Hawks boast a 7-3 record at home, winning their last two home games and finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak that helped New Paltz clinch the top seed. As the top seed, the Hawks earned a bye into the semifinals and will host the semifinal and championship games.

New Paltz's offense runs through A.J. Knight, who averages 13.4 PPG, and Dakoda Smith, who averages 10.8 PPG. Isaiah Rivera is another option for the Hawks offensively as he nearly averages 10 PPG, averaging 9.8 on the season. As a team, New Paltz averaged 73.8 PPG on the season, slotting them in at fifth in the conference, and shot 43.8% from the field, as they sit in fifth in the conference in that category as well.

Defensively, the Hawks are led by Smith who leads the team with 2.1 SPG and is tied for first in the conference. As a team, the Hawks averaged 9.1 SPG, placing them second in the conference. Sean St. Lucia has been a defensive threat on the wing with 35 steals, averaging 1.7 SPG. St. Lucia's counterpart in Smith has been a strong presence in the paint for the Hawks, averaging 1.2 BPG as the team totals 3.4 BPG, placing them fourth in the conference. On the glass, Smith leads the team with 7.6 RPG, which is third in the conference, while Rivera averages 5.5 RPG.

New Paltz is led by seventh-year head coach Keith Kenney, who led the Hawks to their first-ever championship title last season, and he will be making his third SUNYAC tournament appearance.

WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of the Plattsburgh State and New Paltz game will play the winner of the Oswego State-Cortland game in the SUNYAC Championship at top-seeded New Paltz on Saturday, Mar. 1.