PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo junior forward Shannon McGinnis scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but it was Plattsburgh holding off the Knights for a 62-51 victory, Friday night. It was Geneseo's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener.

Down a point, 6-5, with 15:25 to play in the first half, Geneseo (6-2, 0-1 SUNYAC) would go on a 7-1 run capped by a McGinnis layup to take a 13-7 lead with 13:02 on the clock. The Cardinals would respond with a 6-0 run of of their own to tie the game, 13-13 at 11:29.

Tied 19-19 with 9:16 remaining in the half, Plattsburgh (7-3, 2-1 SUNYAC) looked to shake off the Knights with a 10-2 run  to lead 29-21 with 1:36 to play en route to a six-point advantage, 29-23, at halftime.

Plattsburgh would push its lead to 10, 35-25, at the 15:56 mark of the second half, before building a 14-point edge, 43-29, at 13:41. Back-to-back three-point baskets by sophomore guard Dana Cohan and junior guard Biz Reinhardt brought the deficit back down to eight, 43-35, with 12:45 to play in regulation, but Plattsburgh would hold the Knights without a field goal for almost a five-minute span and reclaim a 13-point lead, 48-35, with 8:31 to go.

Sophomore forward Allison McKenna broke the scoring drought with a layup at 8:02 to kick off a 7-2 Knights' spurt capped by a three-point play by first-year forward Katie Vienneau to get the visitors back within eight, 50-42, with 6:24 remaining. However, the Cardinals would build their lead back up to 15, 58-43 with just over four minutes to play before putting away the victory down the stretch.

Geneseo continues conference play on Saturday, traveling to Potsdam for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off with the Bears.