FREDONIA, N.Y. – Freshman Jonathan Patron netted 22 points and senior Kyle Richardson punched in 20 points to help the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team dispatch Fredonia 89-75 Saturday afternoon at Steele Hall Field House.
 
The win gives the Cardinals their 10^th SUNYAC triumph this season and 15^th overall victory. Plattsburgh State is now 2 ½ games clear of second-place SUNY Geneseo in the conference standings, and two games in the loss column.
 
Richardson drilled his first shot of the contest for Plattsburgh State, a three-pointer to give the Cardinals an early 3-2 lead. For the next few minutes, both teams would trade baskets.
 
With the game tied at nine apiece, Plattsburgh State got four straight points by way of a Zack Coleman layup and a one-handed slam by Xavier Thoams. For Thomas, it was his first of three menacing dunks on the afternoon.
 
The Cardinals took complete control of the contest by going on a 23-4 run that saw a 13-11 lead at 14:29 turn into a 36-15 advantage six minutes later.
 
Thanks to a 52.6-percent (20-for-38) shooting performance in the opening half, including a perfect 6-of-6 from Patron, Plattsburgh State totaled 50 points at halftime, and led the Blue Devils by 20 points.
 
Fredonia looked sharp coming out of the break, as Brandon Hodge knocked down the first of just two threes on the afternoon for the Blue Devils. Ian Helps kept Fredonia in the game as the Bronx, N.Y., native scored 16 of his 22 points in the second.
 
Helps connected on a layup with 7:45 left, cutting the Cardinal lead to 65-52. Following a missed Edward Correa three-point attempt on the other end, Kasean Jackson quickly drove down the court and laid one in, getting the Blue Devils as close as they'd been since the first half.
 
Correa bounced right back, however, as the senior out of the Bronx, N.Y., drained a triple to bring it right back to a 14 point advantage. After a Richardson layup, Friday night's hero Eli Bryant drilled a three to silence the Blue Devil crowd and bench with just over five minutes remaining.
 
Thomas put the finishing touches on the Cardinal victory with a jam after driving across the near baseline.
 
In addition to Patron and Richardson, both Thomas and Bryant finished in double figures, with 13 and 11 points respectively.
 
Plattsburgh State will open up a five-game homestand beginning next Friday night against Oneonta. The Cardinals defeated the Red Dragons 85-67 back on December 5. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.