ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team fell 89-75 to Oneonta on the road in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday night. Senior guard Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) had a strong performance, leading all scorers with 32 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists, falling a rebound short of the double-double.

The Cardinals had three other players in double figures as senior guard/forward Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Irwayne Connell Jr. (Monroe CC / Saint Thomas Aquinas) contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) added 10 points, a rebound, and an assist.

For the Red Dragons, Delano Knox led his team with 21 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Sam Booth was their next top scorer with 17 points and three rebounds, followed by Nicholas Cortez with 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Plattsburgh State shot a solid 45.3% from the floor, but Oneonta was slightly more efficient at 46.9%. The Red Dragons held the edge from beyond the arc, hitting seven three-pointers for a 43.8% mark. While the Cardinals controlled the boards 40-36, Oneonta took advantage of turnovers, scoring 19 points to Plattsburgh's 15, and controlled points off turnovers, 12-0.

Even though Connell Jr.'s layup brought Plattsburgh within 9-7, Oneonta controlled play in the first half after a 7-0 run pushed their lead to 16-7 with 13:06 remaining. The Red Dragons jumped out to a double-digit lead until back-to-back baskets from Connell Jr. and Welch made the score 22-16 with 8:21 to go in the opening half. Oneonta continued to build its lead after Welch made two free throws and closed the first half with a three-pointer, taking a 45-29 advantage into the break.

Connell Jr. got Plattsburgh on the board first to start the second half, but Oneonta kept the pressure on, extending their lead to 53-35 with 17:06 remaining. Plattsburgh kept battling and, after a series of runs and a layup by Screen, cut the deficit to 66-58 with 11:02 to play. The Cardinals continued to chip away, cutting the lead to single digits, but Oneonta pulled away, and Plattsburgh fell 89-75.

With the loss, Plattsburgh State drops to 8-6 (5-3 SUNYAC) and is back in action tomorrow, Jan. 24, when the team travels to New Paltz for a 4 p.m. tip-off.