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November 22, 2009

Cardinals win Classic

By RYAN HAYNER



PLATTSBURGH — The plan was to get the in-bounds pass to Chris Ruiz or Steve Thomas.

With those two options unavailable, Danny Tangney instead found Errol Daniyan.

Daniyan was sent to the free throw line for a one-and-one, the Cardinals leading 70-68 with 24 seconds left. Daniyan was a 46-percent free throw shooter the last two years.

But that was the past.

He coolly sank two and gave the Cardinals a crucial 4-point cushion that was key in preserving a 72-70 victory for the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team against Husson in the championship game of the Cardinal Classic Sunday at Memorial Hall.

The Cardinals (3-1) are two games above .500 for the first time since the 2007-08 year.

"If there's anything that we can really look out and say we're a different team this year than we were last year, that made a huge, huge statement," Curle said. "Eventually, these ...free-throws questions are going to be a thing of the past.

"Errol really stepped up and said, 'OK, now its win time.' "

Twice in the second half Plattsburgh State build up leads of 10 that Husson chipped down to just one. The Eagles finally tied the game with two minutes left.

Trailing 64-56 at the 4:19 mark, Bradford hit a pair of free throws and drilled a 3-pointer, and Matt MacKenzie hit another pair from the line to pull within one. Forty seconds later, Bradford sank two more from the charity stripe to knot the game at 66.

Plattsburgh State and Husson traded baskets before Ruiz floated one in from a few feet out on the baseline. The Eagles' next shot hit nothing but air, and a quick foul set up the in-bounds pass to Daniyan.

After he hit them both, Husson's Joshua Jones corralled a miss for a quick put-back that put the Eagles within two. Carl Munnerlyn missed a one-and-one, giving Husson just eight seconds to get down the floor and shoot. Munnerlyn pestered Bradford all the way down and his mid-range jumper clanged off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

"They had no chance for an offensive rebound," said Curle, citing the lack of time the Eagles had. "That was a big factor — it had to go in our they lose."

Daniyan and Ruiz each scored game-highs of 20 points for Plattsburgh State. Daniyan was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after totaling 39 points and 21 rebounds in two games.

A notoriously poor free-throw shooter his first two years of college, Daniyan has connected on 14-of-18 this season. The second-worst free-throw shooting team in the Division III last year, the Cardinals are shooting 71 percent from the charity stripe.

"Confidence, confidence," Daniyan recalled thinking before his big free throws. "I'm going to make these, I'm going to make these for the team."

The 2009 Cardinal Classic title game played out similar to last year's. Against Westfield State last season, Plattsburgh State had a second-half lead but was out-scored 12-4 in the final three minutes and lost.

"We had the same opportunities to win last year and we didn't get it done," Curle said. "This year, same opportunities, and we did."

Jones, an all-tournament team selection with Bradford, led Husson (1-2) with 20 points. MacKenzie was a terror in the post early on and finished with 19, while Bradford added 18.

—

Plattsburgh State 72, Husson 70

Plattsburgh State (72)

Daniyan 9-2-20. Tangney 2-0-5. Brooks 0-3-3. Ruiz 8-3-20. S. Thomas 5-2-14. Havens 0-0-0. F. Thomas 1-0-2. Munnerlyn 1-0-2. Bruno 0-3-3. Ponesse 1-1-3.

Husson (70)

Jones 7-6-20. MacKenzie 7-5-19. Uhrin 3-0-19. Hodges 2-0-4. Bradford 5-6-18. Leighton 0-1-1. Cummings 1-0-2. Zaharchuk 0-0-0.

3-point goals: Plattsburgh State (4): Thomas 2, Ruiz, Tangney. Husson (2) Bradford 2.

Halftime: Plattsburgh State 39, Husson 33.

NORWICH TAKES THIRD
Four players scored in double figures as Norwich defeated RIT, 81-80, Sunday in the consolation game to take the third place the Cardinal Classic.

Antonio Davis and Israel Guardado each had double doubles as Norwich held the advantage in rebounds, 47-29. Davis scored 16 and had 12 rebounds, while Guardado, an all-tournament selection, tallied 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Jaren Jeffcoatscored a team-high 21 and Quincy Williams chipped in 10.

RIT's Scott Young, an all-tournament selection, led all scorers with 37 points, going 9-for-13 from behind the arc.

E-mail Ryan Hayner at: rhayner@pressrepublican.com

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