PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Senior guard Reem Welch's (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) career-high day leads the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team past Canton 84-76 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action at home. Welch led all scorers with 36 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Sophomore guard Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) was the second leading scorer with 23 points and had two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in the winning effort. Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) led the team in rebounds with 12 and chipped in five points.

For the Kangaroos, Jahdeuir Reese led his team in points with 21, to go with seven rebounds. Sean Quinn contributed 14 points, and Lateef Johnson Jr. recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Plattsburgh State turned in an impressive shooting performance, connecting on 50.0% from the field and 42.3% from three-point range while knocking down 11 triples. Canton also shot efficiently, finishing at 42.4% overall and 33.3% from beyond the arc. The Cardinals narrowly won the rebounding battle, 40-39, though Canton held a slight advantage in second-chance points, 14-13. Canton also capitalized on turnovers with 16 points off giveaways, compared to 10 for the Cardinals.

Plattsburgh trailed to begin the first half as Canton built a 14-8 lead, but the Cardinals used an 8-0 surge capped by a Welch jumper to take a momentary 16-14 lead at the 12:02 mark. After both teams traded the lead back and forth, Canton went on a 9-0 run to take a 27-19 lead with 5:31 remaining. The Cardinals cut the deficit to three, but a late jumper from Canton sent the Cardinals into the break down 38-33.  

Canton pushed its lead into double digits in the second half, but a 5-0 spurt gave the Cardinals momentum, and a Gladney three-pointer brought the score to 53-50 with 12:51 to go. However, Canton regained a 59-50 lead after a run of its own, and Plattsburgh trailed until a Welch layup tied the score at 69 with 5:39 left. That layup turned the tide as the Cardinals then scored four straight points and took a 73-69 lead at the 4:16 mark. The game went back and forth, but the Cardinals used an 8-0 surge to take an 83-74 lead and held on for an 84-76 victory.

With the win, Plattsburgh State rises to 10-8 (7-5 SUNYAC) and will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 6, when the team travels to Cortland for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.