BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team dropped an exhibition against Division I University of Vermont on Wednesday night at Patrick Gymnasium. After keeping it close going into halftime and for most of the second half, the Catamounts went on a run with less than four minutes to go, allowing them to pull away for the 78-55 win.  
 
Senior guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) led the Cardinals' offense tonight with 16 points, which led all players, and had six rebounds and two steals. Nate Pondexter Jr. (Washington, D.C. / Archbishop Carroll) and Kareem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) both finished the night with 13 points while Welch registered six rebounds, four assists, and two steals and Pondexter Jr. had five rebounds. Ladan Graves (Pelham, N.Y. / Pelham Memorial) recorded four points, three rebounds, and a block. On the defensive end, Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y. / East Rockaway), Jeremiah Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y. / East New York Family Academy), and Sasha Vidrini (Trieste, Italy / Liceo Rogazionisti) all picked up two steals on the night. 
 
For the Catamounts, Noah Barnett led his team in points with 15. Shy Odom was next in points with 12 while Sam Alamutu and Ileri Ayo-Faleye both had six rebounds with five and 11 points respectively. 
 
The Cardinals shot a solid 36.2% from the field but only shot 58.8% from the line, going 10 of 17, while the Catamounts shot an efficient 55.6% from the field and nearly doubled the Cardinals' attempts at the line, going 22 of 30 at 73.3%. Both teams had a high turnover night as the Cardinals registered 22 points off turnovers and the Catamounts had 17. The Catamounts won the rebounding battle 37 to 29, but the Cardinals had more second-chance points with 14 to the Catamounts 12. 
 
Plattsburgh State is currently 1-3 and next travels to Union College for a 2 p.m. matchup against Colby College in the opening game of the Sig Makofski Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 30. University of Vermont is currently 4-4 and next hosts Northeastern on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. 
 
The first half was close throughout until the Catamounts took their largest lead of the game going into halftime. The Cardinals opened the scoring with a layup from Tabb followed by a response from TJ Hurley. The Catamounts took their first lead of the game after a three from Alamutu but a quick response from the Cardinals as Pondexter Jr. made a layup tied the game at 6 at the 15:47 mark. Both teams continued to trade baskets until a quick 6-0 run for the Catamounts made the score 14-10 Catamounts with less than 12 minutes to go. After Pondexter Jr. tied the game at 14, the Catamounts responded with four straight points that made the score 21-16 Catamounts with less than eight minutes remaining in the first half. The Cardinals kept it close and responded with four straight points of their own that made the score 21-20. The Catamounts ended the first half on an 8-0 run that made the score 33-24 at halftime.

The Cardinals struck first in the second half as Graves put back an offensive rebound followed by another put back off an offensive rebound from Smith and a layup from Pondexter Jr. that made the score 33-30 Catamounts with less than 17 minutes remaining. Four straight points from the Catamounts made the score 37-30 Catamounts. After a three from Tabb and a layup from Welch made the score 41-37, the Catamounts went on a run and made the score 46-37 Catamounts at the 11:59 mark. After free throws from Tabb brought the Cardinals within five, the Catamounts responded with a 6-0 run and made the score 61-50 as they took their largest lead of the game at the time at the 5:19 mark. Welch cut the lead to single digits but another run for the Catamounts extended their lead to 67-52. After Tabb made a free throw followed by two from Welch the Catamounts pulled away with an 11-0 run as the Cardinals ultimately fell 78-55.