NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Plattsburgh State men's basketball team fell in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) semifinal game on Friday night to top-seeded New Paltz, as the Hawks won 74-72. The Cardinals led by two with a little over a minute left but a late bucket plus the free throw from the Hawks was enough for them to hold on for the win. 

Aidan McGuire (Turin, N. Y. / South Lewis) was awarded the prestigious SUNYAC Elite 20 award, an award modeled after the NCAA ELITE 90 program, which recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. McGuire is a Global Supply Chain Management major and currently holds a 3.74 GPA.
 
Senior guard Kevin Tabb (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) paced the Cardinal offense with 21 points and three rebounds as Plattsburgh had four players finish in double figures. Junior guard Kareem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson) was the next top scorer with 19 points to pair with eight rebounds and two assists. Franklin Infante (East Rockaway, N.Y. / East Rockaway) and Jeremiah Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y. / East New York Family Academy) finished with 11 and 10 points respectively as both recorded two rebounds and an assist while Infante also had a steal. Defensively, Ikechukwu Ezike (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Paul Robeson) led the team with a game-high four blocks to pair with eight rebounds, seven points, an assist, and a steal. 
 
For the Hawks, AJ Knight led the way with 19 points, followed by Dakoda Smith with 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Both Sean St. Lucia and Mitchell Cumings had 15 points on the night while St. Lucia had a game high six assists. 
 
Plattsburgh was efficient from the field, shooting 45.8% but New Paltz shot slightly better, shooting 47.5%. The Cardinals knocked down 10 of 20 three-pointers while shooting 50.0% compared to the Hawks who made 8 of 25 at 32.0%. Neither team shot well from the free throw line as Plattsburgh shot 57.1% and the Hawks were 62.5%. The Cardinals won a close rebounding battle 30-29 and recorded 10 second-chance points to New Paltz's eight. The Cardinals also had more points off turnovers with 17, while the Hawks only had 10 as both teams recorded double digit turnovers on the night. 
 
Plattsburgh State concludes their season at 15-12 and graduates seven seniors in Orlando Dawkins (Mount Vernon, N.Y. / Mount Vernon), Ezike, Ladan Graves (Pelham, N.Y. / Pelham Memorial), Infante, Matt Kone-Bradshaw (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Adams Street Academy), Smith, and Tabb. New Paltz moves to 19-7 and will move on in the SUNYAC tournament, taking on third-seeded Cortland in the SUNYAC championship game at home tomorrow, March 1 at 4 p.m. 
 
At the end of the first half, both teams drew even with back-and-forth action throughout that saw multiple lead changes. Tabb scored the first basket of the game quickly followed by a Sean St. Lucia layup before Plattsburgh used a 5-0 burst to take a 7-6 lead momentarily at the 15:21 mark. The lead changed five times before back-to-back three pointers from Welch and Smith gave Plattsburgh an 18-13 lead at the 12:55 mark. Five straight points from New Paltz brought the Hawks within one but four straight points from Smith cushioned the Cardinals' lead to 25-20 with less than nine minutes to go. A 10-0 tear from Plattsburgh courtesy of Welch added to the Cardinals' lead and made the score 37-29 with a little over five minutes remaining in the half. A three from Tabb pushed the Cardinals' lead to as high as nine, but a 7-0 run from New Paltz to end the first half tied the game at 41. 
 
The second half wasn't any different than the first as the teams continued to trade baskets in a closely contested game. New Paltz opened the second half with four straight points before Plattsburgh responded with five points of their own and took a 46-45 lead. New Paltz quickly responded and regained the lead after back-to-back layups, however, Plattsburgh went on an 8-0 run led by Ezike and Infante and took a 54-49 lead at the 13:29 mark. New Paltz responded yet again with an 8-0 run of their own that made the score 57-54 New Paltz midway through the second half. Both teams continued to battle, responding to each other's runs as Plattsburgh led 65-63 with less than five minutes remaining after baskets from Infante and Tabb. With less than three minutes left, Plattsburgh led 72-68 but a layup plus the foul from Smith gave New Paltz a 74-72 lead with less than 20 seconds to go in the game. Plattsburgh had two opportunities to tie the game but a turnover followed by a shot that appeared to tie the game but was ultimately called off due to the expiration of time was enough for New Paltz to hold on for the win as Plattsburgh fell 74-72.