NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – In a game that featured several large swings of momentum, the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team kept its State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament hopes alive with a comeback in the waning minutes of regulation, defeating SUNY New Paltz, 80-78, in a SUNYAC tilt Friday night at the Hawk Center.
 
Plattsburgh State saw a 68-59 lead evaporate, as New Paltz went on a 19-5 run and took a 78-73 advantage following a pair of free throws by senior forward Andrew Seniuk with 1:46 left.
 
Junior guard Eli Bryant (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides School) stopped the Hawks' surge on the Cardinals' ensuing possession with a 3-pointer to pull Plattsburgh State within two, and neither team was able to score until an offensive foul committed by New Paltz set up one of the big plays of the evening. New Paltz's freshman forward/center Nick Arthur blocked a Cardinal shot with 17 seconds left before sophomore forward Jonathan Patron (Huntington, N.Y./Harborfields) came down with the rebound. Patron then cashed in on a layup with 12 seconds to go to tie the score at 78-all.
 
Patron forced a steal on New Paltz's next possession, and he scored on a layup off a pass from Bryant with two seconds to go to put Plattsburgh State in front, 80-78. The Hawks called a timeout and set up a play to get junior guard Dylan Balducci a shot from 3-point range, but sophomore guard/forward Chris Middleton (New York, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) blocked the long-range attempt right before the buzzer to seal the win for the Cardinals.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 12-12 overall (8-9 SUNYAC) with the win and moves into a tie for sixth in the SUNYAC standings with SUNY Geneseo. The Cardinals wrap up their regular season tomorrow at SUNY Oneonta at 2 p.m. New Paltz drops to 1-22 overall (0-17 SUNYAC) with the loss and finishes its season tomorrow at home against SUNY Potsdam at 2 p.m.
 
Neither team was able to get separation in the early goings of the contest until the Cardinals went on a 7-0 run to take a 26-19 lead. The Hawks retaliated with 12 unanswered points and New Paltz took a 31-26 advantage following a Balducci 3-pointer. New Paltz controlled the pace of the game the remainder of the half and went into the locker rooms up 46-39.
 
The Hawks continued to hold a large lead early in the second half, but Plattsburgh State opened up a nine-point edge following a 25-6 spurt. Patron capped off that tear with a jumper with 7:27 left in regulation. That set the stage for the New Paltz comeback that ensued as well as the thrilling finish in the final minute.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 43.8 percent (32-of-73) from the field and finished with a 51-34 advantage in rebounds. New Paltz, meanwhile, shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the field, including a 45.5 percent (10-of-22) mark from 3-point range. The Cardinals' dominance on the glass paid off, particularly on the offensive end, as they scored 27 second-chance points.
 
Patron notched his eighth double-double of the year with 34 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. He was 16-of-21 from the floor. Bryant netted 15 points, while junior guard Zack Coleman (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) poured in eight points and added seven assists.
 
For New Paltz, five student-athletes reached double figures, led by Balducci's 14 points. Sophomore guard Cory Garcia, Seniuk and sophomore forward Brandon Tolliver tallied 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively, while sophomore guard/forward Nick Paquette chipped in 11 points off the bench.