POTSDAM, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team held on for a 69-66 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win over Potsdam on Tuesday night. Senior guard
Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) led the Cardinals with a game-high 30 points, including a free throw late in the game that put Plattsburgh ahead for good. He also added seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Sophomore guard
Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) had a solid outing with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) had a near double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points and three assists, while
Irwayne Connell Jr. (Monroe CC / Saint Thomas Aquinas) was a force in the paint with a game-high four blocks alongside nine points and five rebounds.
Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) contributed seven points, nine rebounds, and three assists in the winning effort.
For the Bears, Mike Hancock led the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Bobby Kemokai contributed 16 points and four rebounds, and Timothy Hardy chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a game-high four steals.
Plattsburgh State shot an efficient 43.1% from the field but struggled from deep at 21.4%. Potsdam connected on 34.6% of its shots and 20.0% from beyond the arc, yet doubled the Cardinals with six three-pointers. Plattsburgh held a slight edge on the glass, 45-42, but Potsdam capitalized on second chances, outscoring the Cardinals 21-14. The Bears also generated more points off turnovers, 19-13.
After the Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the opening half, the Cardinals got going as a Welch layup tied the score at 7 with 16:48 remaining. The Cardinals' offense finally gained some momentum, using a 5-0 burst courtesy of Johnson to take a 16-14 lead before going ahead 18-15 at the 10:09 mark. Both teams traded the lead back and forth until a 10-0 run gave the Cardinals a 30-23 advantage with 3:33 to go. The lead proved fleeting, as the two teams traded runs and headed into halftime locked at 33.
Straight out of the break, a Gladney three-pointer put the Cardinals back on top, and then back-to-back layups from Welch extended the lead to 44-39 with 17:47 to play. Plattsburgh maintained its lead and created separation after scoring four straight points, capped by a Johnson layup that made it 58-48 at the 11:59 mark. The Bears rattled off a 14-0 run and took a 65-60 lead, but the Cardinals fired back, knotting the game at 66 with 1:37 to go after Welch buried a jumper. With less than a minute to go, Welch put the Cardinals up by one, followed by two insurance free throws from Gladney as Plattsburgh held on for a 69-66 win.
With the win, Plattsburgh State snaps its three-game skid and moves to 9-7 (6-4 SUNYAC). The Cardinals will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 30, when the team hosts Oswego State for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
