BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State men's basketball team picked up a big SUNYAC win at home, taking down the Plattsburgh State Cardinals, 78-75, in a tense matchup.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 78, Plattsburgh State – 75
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 4-8 (2-3 SUNYAC), Plattsburgh State: 4-7 (1-3 SUNYAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Matt Parkinson (Springfield Gardens, NY/John Browne) led the Bengals in scoring for the night with 20-points, with Maley McCurty (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) scoring 14-points on the night and Zee Johnson (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) tallying 13-points.
• McCurty would go on to lead the Bengals with nine rebounds, with Johnson pulling down six rebounds.
• As a team, Bengals shot 47.5% from the floor, while going 50.0% from the three-point arc and 64.3% free-throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a tough loss last night against the SUNY Potsdam Bears, the Bengals looked to answer back from a rough shooting night. In the first half, this game looked to be a tight contest as both teams came out aggressive and points were at a premium. At the halfway marker of the half, both teams were locked into a tie, before the Bengals were able to rattle off a 6-0 run. The Cardinals would respond with a run of their own, taking a one-point lead, but the Bengals would respond with a 9-0 lead and enter halftime up ten-points over the Cardinals.
• Playing with a lead in the second half, the Bengals played the clock as much as they could with long possessions and making the Cardinals earn every point on the defensive end. Their double-digit lead would soon trickle down, with the Cardinals making several stops on the defensive end to pull this game within five-points by the midway marker. While the Bengals were able to extend their lead back out to double digits, the Cardinals defense would stiffen, forcing several stops on the Bengals as the second half finish neared. With under a minute left to play and up six-points, the Bengals would be forced to earn this victory, as the Cardinals would cash in on their opportunities at the charity strike…but credit to the resiliency of this Bengals team, who buckled down and left today's game with a victory over the Cardinals.

FOR THE FOES

• Nate Pondexter Jr. led the Cardinals with 18-points, while also pulling down eight rebounds, the team high.

UP NEXT
The Bengals will get some rest before returning into SUNYAC action, as they play host to the Cortland Red Dragons, Tuesday, January 14^th at 6:00 P.M.