Following a defeat of SUNY Morrisville three days before, Oswego State men’s basketball team took down SUNY Oneonta, but then fell to SUNY Cortland a day later in the SUNYAC championship game

The Lakers picked up a double-digit victory over Oneonta, defeating them in a score of 83-69. The Lakers started strong with a 12-4 lead, and while Oneonta got back within one point a few minutes later, the Lakers’ attack was ultimately too powerful.

Jayson McGhee poured in a whopping 18 first-half points – including 13 in the span of six minutes – helping the Lakers to enter the break with a 38-25 advantage.

The Lakers continued to surge in the second half, taking their largest lead of the game – one of 22 points – with 11:55 to go. Oneonta then went on a 9-2 run of their own, trimming the deficit to 15 points and outscoring the Lakers 19-16 within the final five minutes, but ultimately could not overcome their opponent.

The Lakers  emerged victorious for the fourth consecutive game, with McGhee leading the way in a career-high 30-point outing. Deacon Judd clinched his 11th double-double of the season, while Gary McLane and Arthur Foster had nine and eight points, respectively. 

With the 14-point win, the Lakers advanced to the SUNYAC championship game in the Whitney T. Corey Gymnasium. They faced another Red Dragon squad; although this one presented a tougher battle.

The Lakers fell in a 33-point loss to No. 1 Cortland, having struggled to find their footing throughout the entire contest. The Lakers were not able to score a field goal until the 14:10 mark in the first half, while on the flipside, Cortland perfected their attack with 18 points in the first five minutes.

Cortland continued to build on that momentum, closing the half on an efficient field goal rate of 55.9% while the Lakers shot at a clip of 20.7%. Helped by Xavier Leveille and Aaron Coston, who combined for 19 first-half points, Cortland went into the break with a comfortable 42-19 lead. 

The Lakers’ offense seemed to come alive within the early stages of the second half, but still not enough to hold off Cortland. While the Lakers shot an even 50% within the first 11 minutes and three seconds to bring things close again, somewhat within reach, Cortland forced multiple turnovers and were just as efficient. 

In the final 10 minutes, the Lakers were outscored 20-15. While Cortland shot a dire 4-of-14, their defense made up for it, putting the finishing touches on a dominant 84-51 win. Coston, who was recently named to the All-SUNYAC First Team, led the way with 26 points and nine rebounds. Leveille added 15 of his own, while not a single Laker ended in double figures.

The Lakers finished the season with a strong overall record of 23-5, going 15-3 in conference play and recording 11 different games with at least 90 points. Freddy Fowler was named SUNYAC Rookie of the Year, while Judd was named to the First Team, McGhee to second team and Steven Bradley and Foster to the third team.