NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - In a high-scoring affair the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team fell to SUNY New Paltz 107-85 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action. Both teams shot over 50% from the floor on a hot-shooting night, but the Hawks' 19-23 performance at the charity stripe and dominance on the glass and in the paint was the difference in this one. 

Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson) found himself in familiar territory as the team and game's leading scorer with 24 points on 9 for 14 shooting. Sophomore guard Franklin Infante (East Rockway, N.Y./East Rockway) posted 16 points, along with six boards, five assists, and two steals in the team's loss, while Erik Salo (Delmar, N.Y..Bethlehem Central) added 13 points and six rebounds. For the Hawks, Sean St. Lucia had 21 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, while Brandon Scott contributed 17 points off the bench. 

Plattsburgh finished the night shooting at a 52 % clip while hitting 8 of 22 three-pointers (36%) for a solid shooting performance. The team only managed a 55% mark from the line on the night on 20 attempts, while New Paltz was at 83%. Along with shooting 57% from the field, the Hawks dominated the interior, winning the battle on the glass 45-24 and outscoring the Cards in the paint 68-42.

With the loss, Plattsburgh falls to 3-5 overall and 0-3 in SUNYAC and will next play Middlebury in a difficult non-conference test on the road on Dec. 7. New Paltz now finds themselves at 5-2 and 3-0 in SUNYAC play, winning all three of their conference games this week. They next play at Fredonia on Friday, Dec. 9. 

Despite what was a statistically close first half, Plattsburgh only led once, as a Myles Jones (Alexandria, Va./Blue Ridge School) fastbreak layup put the Cards up 9-7 with over 15 minutes to go. From then on, the Hawks were able to build a lead that rarely went under multiple possessions. Despite the consistent lead, the Cards were in the game for the rest of the half and pulled the deficit to within eight points with six seconds left, thanks to a Willard Anderson Jr. (Buffalo, N.Y./East) three-pointer. 

The second half also remained a close affair early on, as the Cards were able to keep up with the Hawks' hot shooting. The team pulled to within four points at the 14:16 mark in the half, as Justin Blanchett (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) hit his third three of the season to make the score 63-59. A 10-0 run by the Hawks over the next three minutes created a gap and New Paltz did not slow down, extending their lead to as many as 24 points down the stretch. The Hawks finished the second half a sizzling 24-37 (65%) from the floor to create a big gap and reach 100 points for the first time since February of 2020. 
 
Jalin Pitts (Palatka, Fla./Peniel Baptist Academy) came off the bench to make all four of his shots for the second time this season, scoring eight points. The sophomore forward has now made all eight of his shots this year, along with two free throws.