PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team lost a thriller on Wednesday night to the Middlebury Panthers, falling in overtime 80-76. The game was close throughout, as each got down by multiple scores and came back in the 45 minutes of action. The Cardinals trailed by eight at 3:16 and came back to force overtime on a layup from Smith. 
 
Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) was the leading scorer for Plattsburgh State on Wednesday night, as he had 26 points with six rebounds and grabbed two steals. Jeremiah Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y. East New York Family Academy) was the next top scorer as he had 16 points, five rebounds, and grabbed two steals. Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y. / East Rockaway) contributed to the offensive effort as he had 11 points, five rebounds, and recorded two steals. Other Cardinals who helped overall included Willard Anderson Jr. (Buffalo N.Y. / East) and Dylan Trombley (Moriah, N.Y. / Moriah). Anderson Jr. had seven points and led the game in steals with five while he also grabbed four rebounds. Trombley had six points, six rebounds, and three assists.

For the Panthers, it was Noah Osher who had 26 points as he tied Tabb for leading scorer and six assists. Tristan Joseph also had a 20-point game as he was right behind Osher with 25 points and six rebounds. David Brennan was the night's leading rebounder as he had 28 to go with his 11 points and registered a double-double.

Plattsburgh shot only 35.4% from the field while Middlebury shot a solid 41.1% and both teams had 10 makes from the free throw line. Middlebury was the stronger team in the paint, outrebounding Plattsburgh 66-44. Plattsburgh won the turnover battle as they had 9 and Middlebury 20 which the Cardinals got 19 points from.

The Cardinals drop to 2-6 and have one more game as they finish the 2023 calendar year with a matchup against MCLA on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 pm. Middlebury rises to 3-6 and will be back in action at home in their next matchup, playing Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 pm against Skidmore.
 
Middlebury began the game as they scored four straight points on the backs of Jackson McKersie and Evan Flak. Plattsburgh got on the board with a three from Anderson Jr. and took the lead on a layup from Tabb that made the score 5-4 Cardinals. Middlebury scored nine straight points that all came from three to go on a 9-0 run with a little under 17 minutes to play. The Cardinals found themselves back in the game, as they took the lead at the 11:08 mark on a jumper from Tabb. A Joseph jumper gave the Panthers back the lead. A little after Tabb gave the Cardinals back the lead on a three that made the score 22-20 with less than 10 minutes to play. The Cardinals scored six straight points before Joseph made a jumper. Brennan tied the game at 28 at 6:22 before the Panthers took the lead on a layup by Kuba Cwalina and held it for the rest of the half.  The Cardinals got points from Anderson Jr, Infante, and Ikechukwu Ezike (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Paul Robeson) to end the half 38-32.

Tabb opened the second half with a three and Osher got the Panthers on board with a jumper that made the score 40-35 Panthers. In the second half, the game remained close, until the Panthers extended their lead to double figures at 10:21 on a layup by Charley Moore that made the score 59-48. The Cardinals then scored four unanswered points, thanks to Smith. It was Smith again as he scored the Cardinals' next four points followed by a Tabb three that cut the lead to five and made the score 64-59 Panthers with less than five minutes to play. At 3:16 Cwalina made a three that put the Panthers up by eight, but the Cardinals did not go away as Trombley made a layup, Infante a jumper, and Smith a layup as the Cardinals trailed by only two with 1:23 remaining. After free throws from Joseph the Cardinals trailed by four. The Cardinals trailed by four, as the ball was in the hands of Tabb, who knocked down a contested three-pointer that cut the lead to one.  After Joseph went 1 for 2 from the line Smith made a layup that tied the game at 70 with less than 10 seconds remaining. The Panthers got a last shot but were not able to score as the game went into overtime.

Smith opened overtime with a dunk that gave the Cardinals the lead 72-70 but Joseph responded with a layup that tied the game at 72 at 2:49. It was Smith again with yet another dunk that gave the Cardinals the lead by two. After Brennan got fouled, he made both free throws that tied the game again at 74 with 1:09 remaining. Cwalina made the layup that put the Panthers ahead for good with less than a minute remaining. The Cardinals had a chance to tie or take the lead, but the shot could not find the bottom of the net, as Middlebury got the ball back and scored back-to-back layups to extend their lead to six. The Cardinals could not score until less than 10 seconds left in the game on a layup from Infante that cut the lead to four and made the final score 80-76 Panthers.