PLATTSBURGH, N.Y- The Plattsburgh men's basketball team secured their seventh State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title by defeating Oneonta, 93-80, Saturday. The Cardinals got to lift the trophy in front of their home crowd, as they now prepare for the NCAA tournament with an automatic bid.
Once both teams found their rhythm in the first half, the game proved to be a very exciting contest just as a championship game should be. Three point shooting kept the Cardinals in the game, ultimately giving them the lead at halftime as Oneonta failed to convert some baskets at the rim to make the game a bit closer for them. The second half saw Plattsburgh open up the game a bit and expand their lead as they went on to create a double didgit lead by the end of the game. Championship MVP Jonathan Patron scored a remarkable 41 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead his team to the top of the SUNYAC.
After the game, the SUNYAC announced their all-tournament team, consisting of the top performing players of the tournament.
All-tournament team:
Player | School |
Hamed Shamseldin | Brockport |
Harrison Deegan | Oneonta |
Dwayne Freeman | Oneonta |
Ian Howard | Plattsburgh |
Eric Mack | Plattsburgh |
Jonathan Patron (MVP) | Plattsburgh |
The SUNYAC also recognizes the men's basketball player with the highest grade point average in awarding the Elite 20 award. This year's winner is Oswego's Brandon Gartland.