PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - Jonathan Patron recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds and was one of five Plattsburgh double-figure scorers as the SUNYAC-leading Cardinals defeated visiting Cortland, 99-78, in men's basketball action.

Plattsburgh improved to 18-3 overall and 13-1 in league action. The Cardinals are four games ahead of Geneseo and Brockport (each 9-5) with four games remaining. Cortland fell to 15-7 overall, and the Red Dragons are now tied with Oswego for fourth place in the conference at 9-6 with three games left.

T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) led Cortland with a career-high 21 points. His 8-of-13 shooting from the field including 5-of-10 accuracy from the 3-point arc. Blair Estarfaa (Buffalo/Maryvale) and Michael Kelly (Monroe/Burke Catholic) each scored 10 points, with Estarfaa leading Cortland with three assists.

Patron finished 9-of-13 from the field for Plattsburgh in 26 minutes off the bench. Edward Correa added 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 3-of-9 from the arc, and dished out four assists. Xavier Thomas made 6-of-8 shots and ended with 16 points, while Kyle Richardson added 14 points and eight boards and Eli Bryant scored 10 points and handed out four assists. Zack Coleman distributed five assists and pulled down six rebounds.

Plattsburgh shot 59 percent from the field (37-of-63) and 78 percent from the foul line (18-of-23). Cortland finished at 41 percent from the floor, 32 percent from three (10-of-31), and was 10-of-17 from the foul line (59 percent).

The hosts never trailed, jumping out to a 17-5 lead seven minutes into the contest and holding a 35-17 lead with 7:25 left. Cortland got back to within seven at 43-36 on a Kelly layup with 1:07 left in the period, but the Cardinals scored six of the period's last eight points and led 49-38 at halftime.

Cortland got back within nine briefly in the opening seconds of the second half, but Plattsburgh answered less than 30 seconds later and led by double figures the rest of the game.

Cortland will play at Potsdam on Saturday at 4 p.m.