PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team erased a 10-point halftime deficit in an 86-78 victory over non-conference Skidmore College on Tuesday evening at Memorial Hall.
 
The Cardinals and Thoroughbreds have been two of the region's heavyweights in recent years, with each boasting two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances since 2013-14. The pair has met in non-conference action in each of the past three years, with each side boasting a win during that time heading into Tuesday night.

The rubber match did not disappoint for the Cardinal faithful, as Plattsburgh State shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor and 90.9 percent (20-of-22) from the line in the second half to pull off a win that has the potential to boost its résumé come NCAA Tournament selection time.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 6-1 overall with the win and entertains SUNY Geneseo next on Friday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m. Skidmore drops to 5-2 overall with the loss and next visits Middlebury College on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 4 p.m.
 
The Cardinals controlled the momentum early, as a fast-break layup by sophomore forward Jonathan Patron (Huntington, N.Y./Harborfields) handed the home team an 11-6 advantage with just 5:15 elapsed off the clock. The two sides traded points until a 9-2 Skidmore tear handed the Thoroughbreds a 22-18 lead. Skidmore then kept the Cardinals at arm's length before using a 16-6 surge to claim a 40-27 advantage, its largest of the night, with 1:57 to go in the first half. The Cardinals scored five unanswered points, capped off by a pair of made free throws by junior guard Eli Bryant (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides School), but junior center Marcus Jackson scored for Skidmore just seconds before the buzzer to give the Thoroughbreds a 42-32 halftime lead.
 
Both teams traded baskets in the early goings of the second half, but Plattsburgh State countered with a game-changing 21-5 run, taking a 60-53 lead off a 3-pointer by sophomore guard/forward Chris Middleton (New York, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) midway through the period. The next few minutes featured Skidmore and Plattsburgh State trading points, and a modest 4-0 Thoroughbred spurt drew the visitors within a possession of the Cardinals at 66-63.
 
After junior guard Eric Mack (Roosevelt, N.Y./Baldwin) and Patron extended the gap with layups, the Thoroughbreds put themselves back within a possession following a layup by senior guard Aldin Medunjanin and two free throws by senior guard Royce Paris. The see-saw battle continued, and Medunjanin eventually pulled Skidmore within two (75-73) with just 1:56 left in regulation. Plattsburgh State then delivered the decisive blow within back-to-back possessions, with Bryant knocking down a 3-pointer before Mack intercepted a pass at midcourt and scored on the fast break. The Cardinals went 6-of-6 at the line from that point forward to put the game on ice.
 
It was a tale of two halves for Plattsburgh State, as the Cardinals shot just 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from the field in the first half—including an 8.3 percent (1-of-12) performance from beyond the arc—before shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor and 40 percent (4-of-10) from distance in the second stanza. On the evening, Plattsburgh State shot at a 43.3 percent (26-of-60) clip from the field, a 22.7 percent (5-of-22) clip from 3-point range and an 87.9 percent (29-of-33) clip from the charity stripe. The Cardinals held a 38-29 edge in rebounds and forced the Thoroughbreds into 12 turnovers, eight of which came in the second half.
 
Instrumental to Plattsburgh State in the comeback win was Mack, who buried 21 second-half points to finish with 26 on the game coming off the bench. Mack achieved that career-high total on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 shooting from the line. Bryant netted 25 points and added four assists, while Patron and Middleton chipped in with 11 points apiece.
 
For Skidmore, sophomore guard Edvinas Rupkus tallied a game-high 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the floor, while Medunjanin finished just shy of a triple-double with 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Paris also reached double figures in scoring with 12 points.