FREDONIA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team came in today looking to bounce back from a close loss last night. Already holding the series edge over the Blue Devils, the Cardinals secured the season sweep with a 91-89 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win over Fredonia on Saturday evening at Dods Hall. Senior guard Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) paced the team in scoring with a game-high 35 points alongside a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double. He also added a game-high four steals and three assists in an all-around performance.

Junior guard Elijah Morris (Mount Vernon, N.Y. / Mount Vernon) had a strong performance as well with 18 points, a team-high five assists, and two rebounds. Sophomore guard Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) reached double figures, recording 10 points, four assists, and two rebounds. Senior guard/forward Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) finished with nine points and three rebounds, while sophomore forward Colin Hartig (Hohen Neuendorf, Germany / Neues Gymnasium Glienicke) and senior forward Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) both contributed seven points. Hartig also added seven rebounds and three assists, and Screen added four rebounds, a block, and a steal.   

For the Blue Devils, Martin Garza led his team in scoring with 25 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists. Stevie Williams finished with 19 points, and Ethan Sokolowski had 17 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high seven assists.

Plattsburgh shot efficiently from the field, connecting on 47.9% of their attempts and 37.9% from beyond the arc, making 11 three-pointers. The Blue Devils also had an impressive shooting performance as well, hitting 58.7% overall and 58.8% from three-point range with 10 triples. Fredonia held a 34-29 advantage on the boards, while Plattsburgh narrowly led 17-16 in second-chance points. The Cardinals dominated points off turnovers, outscoring the Blue Devils 16-4.

The two teams battled back and forth early, with the Blue Devils holding on to an 18-14 lead after a Johnson triple at the 14:12 mark. The Blue Devils extended their lead to double digits, but a quick five points from Plattsburgh closed the gap to 25-19, and later, a layup by Morris brought the Cardinals within four at 29-25 with 8:34 remaining. The Cardinals turned the tide with a 10-0 spurt, paced by Morris, taking a 43-42 lead with 1:54 to play, and went into halftime up 50-46.

Gladney netted the first points of the second half as both teams traded baskets, before the Cardinals used a 5-0 surge capped by a Morris triple to stretch their largest lead to 71-60 with 11:49 to go. The game was shaping up to be a nail-biter as the Blue Devils went on several runs, eventually tying it at 76-76 with 6:39 to play. Both teams continued to trade blows as the lead seesawed, and the score was tied at 87-87 with 1:05 left in regulation. It was Plattsburgh who had the final say, as Johnson drained a clutch three-pointer off an assist from Gladney to take a 90-87 lead, followed by a David McKnight Jr. (South Orange, N.J. / Columbia) free throw to seal a 91-89 victory.

With the win, Plattsburgh State rises to 12-10 (9-7 SUNYAC) and wraps up conference play next weekend, starting with a home game against New Paltz on Friday, Feb. 20, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.