PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Although some things didn't go exactly as planned - such as nearly squandering a 14-point edge - the end result for the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team was an exhibition triumph nonetheless.
Xavier Thomas netted a team-high 14 points while Cardinal newcomer Kyle Richardson added 11 and six rebounds - two of which were of the crucial offensive variety down the stretch - to help Plattsburgh State edge out Bishop's University 67-64 in Memorial Hall on Saturday evening.
In order to secure the win, the Cardinals converted on 44.1 percent (26-of-59) of their field goal attempts and overcame 21 turnovers as well as an 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) showing from the charity stripe.
The start of the Cardinals' exhibition bout wasn't particularly pleasant for the home team. Kyle Desmarais broke the scoring seal for the Gaiters with a free throw then connected on the first of 13 Bishop's University long balls as part of an 8-0 run in the opening 2:38.
With each of the Plattsburgh State's first three possessions bungled away by a trio of turnovers, junior sharpshooter Edward Correa finally scored the first points of the evening by venturing in closer to the basket and sinking a layup.
Towering over the opposition, the Gaiters Majid Naji showed off his range by lacing a three-ball which kept the Canadian squad up by a 13-9 score with 12:09 to go in the opening stanza.
Directly after Naji's trifecta, the Cardinals began to get their offense going. Correa nailed a mid-range jumper to kick start a 10-0 Plattsburgh State scoring surge over the next 2:45.
Heading downtown to do some damage, the senior tandem of Mike Mitchell and Ezra Hodgson splashed back-to-back triples to make matters 19-13 Plattsburgh State with 9:24 to go in the first.
Wreaking havoc on the defensive end of the floor, senior Jordan Moody swindled the ball on four separate occasions from the Gaiters in the first nine minutes of action. The efforts of the Peekskill, N.Y., product directly contributed to the Cardinals' big run.
Unwilling to go down quietly, the Gaiters continued to shell the Cardinals from long range. Jona Bermillo capitalized on a three-point opportunity to cut Plattsburgh State's lead to 19-16, but high-flying junior Xavier Thomas took to the sky to bring the home crowd into the equation.
The Brooklyn, N.Y., product unleashed a fast-break jam before turning things over to senior Alan Siergiej. The hefty forward proceeded to punish the Gaiters down low, netting five points and an equal number of caroms in the final 6:56 of the opening frame.
Plattsburgh State's lead stood at six points – 33-27 - heading into the halftime strategy session, but over the first 10 minutes of the deciding frame the Cardinals uncorked a sizable run to push their advantage to double digits.
A 5-2 Gaiters spree culminated with a Patrick Kabongo three-point hit before a 16-5 run by a variety of Cardinals nearly took the wind out of Bishop's sails for good.
In the infancy of the surge, Thomas canned a mid-range jumper before the Cardinals opted to pound the ball inside once again. A slim and trim Reggie Williams – who missed the entire 2013-14 season due to injury – made good on a pair of point-blank layups while former NCAA Division II student-athlete Kyle Richardson employed some fancy footwork for a close-range bank shot of his own.
As well as his nifty post moves, Richardson also proved he possesses an equally suitable shot from beyond the arc. The Baldwin, N.Y., product upped the Cardinals' edge to 46-37 with his long ball hit at 12:39.
Unsurprisingly, the play that dropped the most jaws came from Thomas. Upon increasing Plattsburgh State's lead to 49-37 with a triple of his own, Thomas took off and grabbed an offensive rebound on a missed Correa triple try.
Soaring past an unguarded lane, the junior uncorked a ferocious two-handed putback dunk to make matters 51-37 with 10:54 to go in the game.
Richardson canned yet another triple before Moody began to heat up from range. After shaking off a defender, Moody pulled up from three with the shot clock winding down and swished the first of his back-to-back three-point goals.
Bishop's University still wouldn't go away, though, as the Gaiters came all the way back to pull within one, 65-64, with 1:01 to play. Another Correa misfire from downtown nearly gave the ball back to the visitors with 33 seconds to go, but Richardson raced down the offensive rebound and shoveled it out to Mitchell. The senior hit a pair of free throws and the Cardinals defended the Gaiters well in the closing seconds to preserve the win.
Moody boasted a well-rounded stat line of 10 points, three rebounds, five steals, a pair of assists and a blocked shot for the Cardinals while Williams added seven points and seven rebounds. Bermillo led all scorers by pumping in 15 markers for the Gaiters. Patrick Kabongo finished with a double-double consisting of 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Canadian institution.
The Gaiters shot 23-of-68 (33.8 percent) in the game which included a 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) showing from downtown.
Two more weeks will elapse before the Cardinals take part in a game that will count. Plattsburgh State is scheduled to make a trip to Williamsport, Pa., to take part in Lycoming College's Dutch Birch Tip-Off Tournament. Their first opponent of 2014-15 is Elizabethtown College and that tussle is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 15.
