PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) and Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) each delivered standout performances as the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team rolled past Potsdam, 101-78, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play on Tuesday night in Memorial Hall. Screen and Welch led all scorers with 32 points each, while Screen added 11 rebounds for a double-double, and Welch added six assists and four steals.

Sophomore guard Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) had a strong showing as well, netting 18 points to go with a career and game-high nine assists as well as five rebounds. Junior guard/forward Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) finished with a career and game-high 14 rebounds to pair with 11 points for a double-double on the night. On the defensive end, Colin Hartig (Hohen Neuendorf, Germany / Neues Gymnasium Glienicke) and Screen added two blocks, while Hartig also collected a steal.

For the Bears, Mike Hancock led four players in double figures with 16 points and six rebounds. Batualp Ozen contributed 14 points, Timothy Hardy added 12 points, and Bobby Kemokai had 10 points in the overall effort.

Overall, for the game, Plattsburgh State shot a strong 52.9% from the floor, while Potsdam had a good shooting night as well, shooting 43.8% from the field. The Cardinals shot a solid 26.9% from behind the arc, but Potsdam didn't have as much success, shooting only 15.4%. The Cardinals dominated the boards (49-27) and collected 27 second-chance points to the Bears' nine. On the other hand, Potsdam finished with 20 points off turnovers, and Plattsburgh only had 13.

The Cardinals opened the first half with a 7-2 lead after Johnson cashed in on a three-pointer at the 17:43 mark. Potsdam cut Plattsburgh's lead to two, but a three-pointer from Screen followed by a 7-0 surge pushed the Cardinals' lead to 17-7 with 15:33 remaining. Midway through the opening half, the Bears' offense came into their own and used an 8-0 rally to make the score 23-19 with 10:31 left. After the Bears cut the lead to three, Plattsburgh responded with a commanding 12-0 run to pull ahead 42-27 and carried a 53-44 advantage into halftime.

Potsdam had the momentum early in the second half, cutting the deficit to 58-52, but the Cardinals quickly struck back, scoring five straight points to make the score 63-52. Midway through the second half, a 12-0 tear, powered by Screen with six points, extended Plattsburgh's lead to 77-59 with 9:00 to go. The Cardinals kept rolling, rattling off a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 95-71 with 2:37 remaining, en route to a decisive 101-78 victory.

With the win, Plattsburgh State rises to 7-4 (4-1 SUNYAC) and next hosts Morrisville on Friday, Jan. 16, for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.