SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Junior guard Travis Cox (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Douglass Academy) scored a career-high 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the floor and 4-of-7 shooting from the free throw line, but the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team fell to Skidmore College, 64-60, at the Williamson Center on Monday evening in non-conference action.
 
Down 63-57 with 13 seconds to go, the Cardinals received a clutch 3-pointer from senior guard Nick DeAngelis (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) just four seconds later to make it a one-possession game. While freshman guard Axel Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./New Paltz) came up with a steal, the Thoroughbreds stole the ball back, forcing Plattsburgh State to foul. Senior forward Pat Gallagher iced the game for Skidmore by going 1-of-2 at the line, and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer taken by the Cardinals missed the mark, giving the Thoroughbreds a 64-60 victory.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 2-3 overall with the loss and opens up State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play at SUNY Oneonta on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Skidmore rises to 1-3 overall with the win and hosts Hobart College to begin Liberty League action on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
 
Skidmore controlled the momentum early, taking a 15-6 lead following a 3-pointer by freshman guard Raven Ennis. The two teams battled until Cox and DeAngelis converted on mid-range jumpers on back-to-back possessions to trim the deficit to 21-19. Skidmore increased its lead to five on a 3-pointer by freshman guard Tautvydas Kupstas, but a made jumper by Rodriguez, a dunk by freshman center Cameron Ness (Clintondale, N.Y./Highland) and a layup by Cox gave Plattsburgh State a 25-24 lead, its first of the game. The Thoroughbreds went on an 8-4 run to take a 32-29 advantage, but Cox scored on a layup with 43 seconds left in the first half to cut the gap to 32-31 heading into the intermission.
 
The Cardinals had an answer for a Skidmore basket that opened up the second half, going on an eight-point scoring spree. A Ness free throw handed Plattsburgh State a 39-34 cushion, its largest lead of the game. The Thoroughbreds netted five unanswered points to tie the game, and the two teams traded points until Skidmore went on an 8-0 surge late in the second half to construct a 10-point advantage.
 
Cox ignited a late rally by scoring on a layup with 2:23 to go to draw the Cardinals within 61-55, and DeAngelis knocked down a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left to make it a four-point game. Forced to foul with 13 seconds left, the Cardinals conceded two points on free throws by freshman guard Riley Greene, but DeAngelis buried a 3-pointer on Plattsburgh State's next possession to pull the Cardinals within three.
 
Plattsburgh State shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the line, while both teams had 33 rebounds. The Cardinals committed 17 turnovers to the Thoroughbreds' 12, and Skidmore wound up shooting 43.4 percent (23-of-53) from the floor for the evening.
 
Beyond Cox, who also chipped in with six rebounds and a career-high five steals, DeAngelis netted 14 points in 26 minutes coming off the bench.
 
For Skidmore, Murunge and junior guard Ty Lamport scored 14 points apiece, while Kupstas netted 13 points in reserve action. Murunge completed the double-double with 11 rebounds and added four blocks, two assists and a steal.