OSWEGO, N.Y. – As the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team hit the road for the first of a tough back-to-back stretch of games against Oswego and Cortland, several storylines were hanging in the balance. The team was winners of five straight games, was looking to get revenge on a Laker team that defeated them in last year's SUNYAC title game at Memorial Hall, and senior Edward Correa was just one three-point basket away from becoming the Cardinals' all-time leader in that statistical category. On Friday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium, everything would go right for Plattsburgh State as it defeated Oswego State by an 85-68 score.
 
It took until just before the eight minute mark of the first half for Correa to hit his first of three triples on the evening to set his place in the Plattsburgh State history books. With that make, the senior out of the Bronx, N.Y., eclipsed Anthony Williams' mark of 205 made three-pointers. Correa finished the evening with 15 points, grabbing three rebounds and dishing out three assists as well.
 
Fellow senior Kyle Richardson continued his torrid stretch, as he finished with a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds. The Baldwin, N.Y., native shot an alarming 10-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Richardson also went 6-of-7 from the free throw line.
 
A trio of first-year players: Eli Bryant, Jonathan Patron, and Ian Howard also put together solid efforts. Bryant scored a season-high 21 points, while Patron netted nine and snatched five rebounds. Howard, as he has done all season when called upon, created second-chance opportunities on the offensive end, corralling five offensive rebounds.
 
The game was even through the opening 10 minutes of the first half, but the Cardinals turned the game in their favor by going on a 12-2 run, starting just over the 12-minute mark. That built their lead to 40-28, and they would be staked to a 46-35 advantage at the half.
 
After scoring 13 points in the first half, Richardson got off to a sizzling start in the second stanza, hitting a pair of free throws on the opening possession before connecting on a three, which gave Plattsburgh State a 53-38 lead.
 
At only one point in the second half did the Cardinals lead by fewer than double digits. That was due in large part to Plattsburgh State shooting at a 57.1-percent clip from the field.
 
Having owned the second-best defense against the three-pointer in the country entering Friday night's game, the Cardinals would limit the Lakers to just 32-percent (8-of-25) from downtown.
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 10-2 on the season and 5-0 in the SUNYAC. After winning the conference title last year, the Lakers have come out struggling in the SUNYAC this year, as they drop to 1-4 in conference games, but are 8-4 overall.
 
Saturday afternoon sets up to be a showdown of top SUNYAC teams as the first-place Cardinals will go for their seventh straight win with a matchup against third-placed Cortland. Both teams enter the contest with identical 10-2 records. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.