PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Led by four double-digit scorers, the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team held on for a 76-72 non-conference win over Clarkson. Senior guard Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) led the way with 26 points to pair with nine rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Junior guard Elijah Morris (Mount Vernon, N.Y. / Mount Vernon) chipped in 14 points, a game-high six assists, and five rebounds. Right behind him was senior forward Irwayne Connell Jr. (Monroe CC / Saint Thomas Aquinas) with 13 points, five rebounds, a game-high four blocks, and a steal. Senior guard/forward Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) was also in double figures with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while senior forward Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) controlled the boards with a game-high 12 rebounds.

For the Golden Knights, Braeden Burns led his team in scoring with 26 points and added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Nate Abernethy contributed 22 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

Overall, for the game, Plattsburgh State shot a solid 38.9% from the field and 25.9% from behind the arc, while Clarkson shot slightly better from the field at 41.8% and shot 25.0% from the three-point line. The Cardinals won the rebounding battle (44-41) and finished with 20 second-chance points compared to Clarkson's 10. Points off turnovers were close as Plattsburgh recorded 11 and Clarkson had eight.

After Morris knocked down two free throws, Plattsburgh led 4-3, but Clarkson went on a 6-0 run and took a 9-4 lead at the 15:49 mark. The Cardinals countered with a 7-0 burst and took a momentary 11-9 lead before Clarkson tied the score at 11 with 13:05 remaining in the first half. The game remained close until a 6-0 surge gave the Cardinals a 29-21 lead with 4:36 to go. Clarkson responded with six straight points and eventually tied the game on a layup before a layup from Welch made the score 33-31 at halftime.

A quick 5-0 run from Clarkson to start the second half put the Golden Knights out in front 36-33, but a Connell Jr. layup closed the gap and made the score 36-35 with 18:29 remaining in the second half. Clarkson held onto the lead, although Plattsburgh tied the score at 38 and again at 40 as back-to-back layups from the Golden Knights made the score 47-42 at the 15:02 mark. After keeping it close and tying the score on multiple occasions, the Cardinals broke through with a 12-0 run to grab a 66-56 lead with 7:59 to play. Clarkson battled back to cut the deficit to two at 72-70, but clutch free throws from Morris and Welch sealed the 76-72 win.

With the win, Plattsburgh State extends its winning streak to three and rises to 5-3 overall and will be back in action next Friday, Jan. 9, at Canton for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.