MBB: State University of New York Athletic Conference

[magicman]

Saturday February 20th   Four Final Regular Season Games For Conference Seedings.

New Paltz State  at  Fredonia State               4:00 PM

This one is for bragging rights and pride. Both teams closed out of the playoffs. Fredonia with a young team looking to build for next year. The Blue Devils improved considerably since the start of the season and posted their best record in 4 years. With their top 7 players back next year they should be a  playoff contender.

New Paltz took a step backward this season and will lose 3 of their top 6 players. They will need another good recruiting class to fill some big holes and beef up the bench.

The point spread favors the Blue Devils by a 4 point margin as they look to sweep the season series. I'm going with the home team here as Fredonia wins it by a 74-68 final score.   

   

Potsdam State  at  Brockport State        4:00 PM

Brockport can only hope for a home playoff game but they have to beat Potsdam to get it and they need Plattsburgh to beat Geneseo. They will be joining the Cortland variety of Red Dragons rooting hard for the Cardinals.I can't remember when the last time was, that Plattsburgh experienced such popularity.

The Bears gave Geneseo a good battle yesterday  but they will be up against it with the pressure the Golden Eagles will bring. Brockport won by 37 in Potsdam, and this one could get ugly, early.  The oddsmaker have made the Bears a 22 point underdog and I don't think they will cover the spread. Playing their 3rd game in 4 days and the long trip should take their toll and the Golden Eagles should roll in this one by an 91-66 final score. And that's if the Brockport coaching staff limits his starters to 15 to 20 minutes like he did the first time these teams met.
   

   
Oneonta State  at  Buffalo State                4:00 PM Co-featured Game of the Day

This one is for all the marbles...so to speak. Lose and you go home. Win and you get to play at least 1 more game. You also get to have the eternal hope (at least for a few days) that you can win 3 games and go dancing. Kind of like a dollar and a dream.

But hey, Plattsburgh won the conference championship as the 6th seed back in 2005-06 and I remember when Brockport won their final game of the season back in the 2008-09 season just to get into the playoffs. They had to beat the 1st place team in the conference because they would have been tied with Plattsburgh for the 8th and last seed if they lost. Plattsburgh owned the tiebreaker over them so they had to finish a game ahead of the Cardinals to advance. I remember thinking that the Cardinals were going to make the tournament because there was no way that 9th place Brockport would beat 1st place Geneseo and bump us out of the playoffs. Not only did Brockport beat Geneseo to make the playoffs, 3 days later they beat the Knights again to knock off the top seed. Then they won the next 2 games to clinch the YAC championship, a trip to the dance and the honor of having the worst record in the tournament at 14-14. So you never know.

This afternoon the Bengal and the Red Dragons will fight it out to see which team will play on the road next Tuesday night at the #3 seed. Both teams have experienced some stretches of good solid basketball leading me to believe they were solidly in contention for one of the top spots in the conference. But both teams fell on hard times, the Bengals by losing a series of last second games and the Red Dragons by losing the momentum they had back when they were 5-1 in the YAC and had whipped through the likes of Oswego, Geneseo and Brockport. I don't know where that team went and I don't know if they will be back for this game today. I do know the Bengals have a mission and the last time that Oneonta won in the Queen City was 6 years ago when the Bengals were a mediocre team and the Red Dragons were tied for first place with Plattsburgh. That scenario isn't the case today. Both teams are quality teams with numerous players that can hurt you but I think the Bengals at home, playing for Bradley ,will pull this one out. The oddsmakers have made the visiting Dragons a slim 2 point favorite. The Bengals have beaten the top team in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, New Jersey City and they have also beaten the top team in the CUNYAC conference, Lehman College. They have hung with the Cardinals right to the bitter end and played us as tough as anybody, losing in OT the first time and getting beat on a last second 3 pointer in the rematch. Today I think they will have a reason to celebrate as they take care of business and win this one 85-80.

                 

Plattsburgh State  at  Geneseo State        4:00 PM Co-featured Game of the Day

This could be a killer for the Cardinals as they play their 3rd game in 4 days.

Last night's win over Brockport was for pride to avenge an earlier loss to the Golden Eagles. It was also to solidify a chance for a Pool C bid to the NCAA tournament in case we lose in the conference playoffs. With the #1 spot in the East Regional Rankings and a 20 win season in the books I think that Plattsburgh should make the tournament now, one way or another.   

Big dilemma facing me now because the last time Plattsburgh State went 2-0 on that western trip to play Brockport and Geneseo was 11 years ago, in 2004-05. Having won on Friday, the odds are not good that the Cardinals can win on Saturday. Plattsburgh is a perfect 8-0 on the road in conference play this year and the game against Geneseo will be one of their toughest challenges. Compounding my decision is the fact that Geneseo played Tuesday and then this weekend as scheduled while Plattsburgh's Tuesday game was postponed until Wednesday forcing the Cardinals to play 3 games in 4 days. And then there's that 7 hour bus trip on their off day to get to the western part of the state from the far reaches of the North Country.

Geneseo's win on Friday night, coupled with  losses by Brockport and Oswego, have left the Knights in prime position to win the 2nd seed and automatic bye into the semifinals of the SUNYAC tournament. If they win they need no help, they are the #2 seed.  Just one more reason that makes this a tough game to pick.

The Knights could finish as far down in the standings  as 5th place if they lose and Brockport wins. That has to be on their mind when considering the ramifications of this game. The oddsmakers have made the Cardinals a 6 point road favorite in this one. I'd pick against the Cardinals if they weren't my team based on the history of this road trip alone, but I keep remembering what the X-Man Thomas and Kyle Richardson said to me before they left. They told me that the team was going to take care of business this week. I guess you just gotta believe. Plattsburgh wins this one 88-83.                     

[jdex]

Almost unnoticed as Cortland awaits its playoff positioning, JP Reagan recently reached a milestone as a key first-year Cortland cog. A Cortland native who returned home for his senior season, he has 1,067 career points. Reagan spent his first three seasons as a decorated RIT performer and scored 787 Tiger points. Has 280 as a RDragon including 50 in wins this week.

Cortland's defending national champion baseballers open this afternoon with 8-4 conquering of host Salisbury, NC. Corts No. 1 ranked entering the campaign, today's Sea Gulls foe No. 4

[jdex]

Plattsburgh 36, Geneseo 33, half

Buffalo St. 44, Oneonta 43, half. L. Smith 14 pts lead trio of Bengals in double figures. L. Coleman with 11 for Oneonta. Even game statistically. Buffs with just two turnovers. Oneonta with rebounding advantage

[magicman]

Plattsburgh 36 Geneseo 33

Kyle Richardson leads the Cardinals with 16 points and 5 rebounds at the break. Jon Patron has7 points and 6 rebounds.

Kevin Crockett has 9 points for Geneseo.

[magicman]

Brockport leading Potsdam 41-36 at the half.

Clifton Lyerly 14 points for the Golden Eagles.

Joe Estramonte 12 points for the Bears.

[magicman]

Playoff Scenarios

If Geneseo beats Plattsburgh they will be the #2 seed. Cortland would be #3. Brockport would be #4 if they beat Potsdam and Oswego would be 5th.

If Geneseo loses to Plattsburgh then Cortland is the #2 seed. Brockport would be the #3 seed if they beat Potsdam, Oswego would be #4 and Geneseo would come in 5th.

If Geneseo beats Plattsburgh and Brockport loses,  then Geneseo is #2, Cortland is #3, Oswego is #4 and Brockport is #5.

If Geneseo and Brockport both lose then Cortland is #2, Oswego is #3, Geneseo is #4, and Brockport is #5.

And of course the winner of the Oneonta-Buff State game is the #6seed.     

[magicman]

Buffalo State leading Oneonta at the half by a 44-43 score.

Lovell Smith with 14 points. Kevin Marmolejos and Nico McLean with 10 each.

Lawrence Coleman with 11 and Seth Thomsen with 7 for Oneonta.

[magicman]

New Paltz leading Fredonia by a 43-37 score early in the 2nd period.

[magicman]

Plattsburgh leads Geneseo 72-70 with 58 seconds to go. Ed Correa just buried a 3 pointer to give the Cardinals the lead.Time out and the Knights have the ball. Foul called on Correa with 43 seconds left. Knights make them both to tie it up. Correa is fouled with 22 ticks left He makes 1 of 2 but Jon Patron gets the rebound off the missed free throw. He gets fouled and makes them both to give Plattsburgh a 75-72 lead with 19 seconds left to play. Both teams take a time out. Geneseo inbounds it but can't get a shot off and calls a time out with 6 seconds left.

Geneseo takes a 3 point shot as the clock runs out and they come up empty. Plattsburgh wins 75-72.

[jdex]

Plattsburgh 76, Geneseo 72, final

Cortland winds up second with opening round Tuesday bye .....

Buffalo St. by 13  with just over a minute left vs. Oneonta . BS will advance to playoffs. Tough finish for OSt

[magicman]

Buffalo State clinches the 6th seed in the conference tournament by defeating Oneonta by a 96-86 final score.

[magicman]

Brockport clinches the #3 seed by defeating Potsdam 92-76.

Oswego is the 4th seed and Geneseo is 5th

[magicman]

Tuesday February 23rd quarterfinal games

Buffalo State at Brockport State

Geneseo State at Oswego

[magicman]

Fredonia misses 3 of 4 free throws in the final 6 seconds and drops a close 74-72 decision to New Paltz.

[pg04]

Congrats to our friend Bengalsrule and the Bengals making it in to the conference tournament. My rooting for them, however and understandably, stops here!