The Oswego State men's basketball team (12-3, 5-3 SUNYAC) got the Geneseo (11-5, 7-2 SUNYAC) lead down to five points on numerous occasions in the second half, but was unable to complete the comeback in a 61-51 loss in Geneseo on Saturday night, Jan. 19.
Hayden Ward (Sr., Montauk, N.Y.) netted a layup with 6:15 remaining in the contest to cut the deficit down to five points at 46-41, but the Lakers were unable to get any closer for the remainder of the game. Ward finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, also burying two of his three attempts from beyond the arc. As a team, Oswego State shot 17-for-57 (29.8 percent) in the contest.
The Lakers led 7-6 early before an 18-3 run by the Knights earned them a 24-10 edge with just over eight minutes left in the first period. Geneseo went 8-for-12 from the field during the stretch, while also holding the Lakers to one three-pointer in roughly seven minutes of play.
Oswego State countered with an 8-0 run of their own, but still trailed 30-18 at the half. The Lakers' 18 points, was the least they've scored in a half all season.
Ward cut the lead down to 35-32 halfway through the second half with a trey on a pass from Sean Michele (Sr., East Rochester, N.Y.), which forced Geneseo to call a timeout. The Knights scored nine points in the next two minutes to stunt the Laker comeback.
Geneseo made six of its last seven free throws to seal the win and earn the outright lead in the SUNYAC with a 7-2 conference record.
With 14 points, Chris Gilkes (Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.) ended the game as the only other Laker with double-digit points. Gordon Lyons made all five of his attempts from the charity stripe to lead the Knights with 15 points.
Oswego State hits the road again on Tuesday, Jan. 22, as the Lakers travel to New Paltz to do battle with the Hawks at 8 p.m.
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