Fifth-Seeded Plattsbsurgh Men’s Basketball Upsets Fourth-Seeded New Paltz 97-88 in Overtime in SUNYAC First Round

Plattsburgh Sports Information Department

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team upset New Paltz 97-88 in overtime in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament on Tuesday night in Hawk Center. The Cardinals' high-scoring performance was fueled by five players reaching double figures, with four scoring 20 or more points in the overtime showdown.

Senior guard/forward Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) led the way for Plattsburgh with a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Close behind was senior guard Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson), who totaled 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in an all-around effort. Senior forward Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) also recorded a double-double, finishing with 21 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Junior guard Elijah Morris (Mount Vernon, N.Y. / Mount Vernon) added 20 points, six assists, and three rebounds, while sophomore guard Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) contributed 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, and a team-high four steals.

For the Hawks, Mo Sylla paced his team with a double-double, posting a game-high 29 points along with 10 rebounds and a game-high six steals. LaMar Matthews followed with 25 points and five rebounds, while Isaiah Rivera chipped in 23 points and nine rebounds.

Plattsburgh State shot efficiently, finishing at 47.1% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range, knocking down 10 triples. New Paltz shot 42.7% overall but just 19.2% from beyond the arc. Plattsburgh controlled the glass, 45-39, and held an 11-8 advantage in second-chance points. New Paltz, however, had a slight 17-16 edge in points off turnovers.

After scoring the first four points of the game, Plattsburgh opened its lead to 12-2 at the 17:02 mark thanks to back-to-back triples from Johnson and Gladney, and a jumper from Morris. New Paltz responded with a run of its own, pulling within two before another Johnson triple pushed the Cardinals' lead to 15-10 with 13:25 to go in the opening half. The Hawks kept it close and took their first lead at the 9:32 mark as the advantage went back and forth until Plattsburgh closed the half with a 6-0 rally to take a 38-34 lead into the break.

A Screen layup to begin the second half sparked a quick 5-0 burst, extending the Cardinals' lead to 43-34 with 18:31 to play. Back-to-back layups gave the Hawks momentum as New Paltz trimmed the deficit to one before consecutive jumpers from Screen and Morris stretched Plattsburgh's lead to 49-44 at the 14:49 mark. The action continued back and forth with neither side able to pull away, leaving the teams deadlocked at 75-75 with 2:12 remaining. The Hawks broke the tie with a triple from Matthews, but Johnson answered with a three of his own, sending the game to overtime tied 78-78.

The Cardinals grabbed the lead in overtime and never surrendered it, as back-to-back layups from Welch gave Plattsburgh an 82-78 advantage with 3:29 to play. The Hawks cut the lead to two, but a triple from Screen, followed by an 8-0 spurt, extended the Cardinals' lead to 93-82 with less than a minute remaining. That proved to be the difference, as Plattsburgh sealed the 97-88 overtime victory with clutch free throws down the stretch.

With the win, Plattsburgh State improves to 13-12 overall and advances to the semifinals of the SUNYAC Tournament. The Cardinals will match up with top-seeded Cortland in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27, with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.