The Oswego State men's basketball team (18-7, 11-7 SUNYAC) saw its second-half comeback stymied by host Plattsburgh (18-7, 14-4 SUNYAC), which held off the Lakers, 71-63, Saturday, Feb. 16.
The Lakers will host a SUNYAC play-in game on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
Things were rough at the start for Oswego State, which fell behind 19-6 after nine minutes of play. Senior Sean Michele (East Rochester, N.Y.) started the Lakers on the comeback trail with a three-pointer, as Oswego State climbed to within two with 11 straight points.
The Cardinals were the better team for the remainder of the stanza, as they took a 33-26 lead into the break.
The Lakers scored seven points early in the second half, capped off by a Hayden Ward (Sr., Montauk, N.Y.) three-pointer, but they wouldn't score for a six-minute stretch after Ward's basket. Plattsburgh scored 10 points during the Laker skid to open up a 13-point lead.
Oswego State trailed 62-51 with 4:36 left in the contest, before Ward buried another shot from beyond the arc to jump-start a Laker comeback effort. Senior Chris Gilkes (Syracuse, N.Y.) scored back-to-back buckets to cut the deficit to four points.
Five straight points by the Cardinals ended the comeback, and Plattsburgh cruised to victory from there. Plattsburgh sported a balanced attack, with four scorers in double digits. Ward led Oswego State with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Gilkes tallied 16 points as the only other Laker in double figures.
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