PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 campaign tonight, facing Skidmore in its season opener for the third consecutive year while carrying a three-game winning streak against the Thoroughbreds. The Cardinals put together a strong first-half effort, heading into the break trailing 45-36, and continued to look for opportunities to close the gap in the second half before ultimately falling 87-65 at Memorial Hall.
The Cardinals had three players finish in double figures, led by junior guard
Jahdeuir Reese (Syracuse, N.Y./Liverpool), who scored a team-high 17 points and added five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in his debut with the Cardinals. Junior forward
EJ Johnson (Fallsburg, N.Y./Fallsburg) and first-year guard
Bryce Long (Rochester, N.Y./Julius L. Chambers) each contributed 11 points while making their first appearances for Plattsburgh this season. Johnson also pulled down 10 rebounds to record a double-double as the Cardinals controlled the glass with a 42-39 rebounding advantage and generated 12 second-chance points. Plattsburgh shot 39.6% from the floor but connected on just 16.7% of its attempts from beyond the arc.
For the Thoroughbreds, Aidan Roy led all scorers with 19 points, followed by Noah Williams with 17 points and a pair of steals. Williams helped lead a defensive effort that turned Plattsburgh turnovers into 26 points for Skidmore. Jacob Gooden added 16 points and five assists, while the Thoroughbreds shot 45.6% from the field and 36.0% from long range, connecting on nine three-pointers.
The Cardinals came out strong in their season opener, putting together an 8-0 scoring stretch to take an early 10-5 lead, capped by a Johnson layup with 15:38 remaining. Skidmore answered with a 7-0 run to claim its first lead at 18-15, setting up a back-and-forth stretch as Plattsburgh worked to stay within reach. With the Thoroughbreds leading 30-21, Johnson converted a layup before Reese knocked down a three-pointer at the 5:57 mark, bringing the Cardinals within four at 30-26. Skidmore pushed its advantage into double figures late in the half, but Reese added a layup before the break to bring Plattsburgh within nine, 45-36.
Plattsburgh carried its momentum into the second half, as Reese and
Kye Usher (Los Angeles, Calif./Junipero Serra) scored back-to-back baskets to quickly cut the deficit to 45-40. Skidmore responded with a run of its own, extending its lead to 59-42 with 14:43 remaining. The Cardinals continued to fight back, putting together a 7-0 surge capped by a Long three-pointer to pull within 10 at 59-49. Plattsburgh kept looking for ways to narrow the gap and put together several more scoring pushes, but Skidmore answered each time as the Cardinals ultimately fell 87-65 in their home opener.
With the loss, Plattsburgh State begins its 2026-27 campaign 0-1 and will look to bounce back Wednesday, Nov. 11, traveling to Union for a 7 p.m. tip-off in its first road game of the season.
