The Oswego State women's basketball team could not overcome a nine-point halftime deficit on its way to a 75-54 loss to Fredonia on Friday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium. Oswego's overall record falls to 3-16 with the loss and 1-11 in the conference. Fredonia progresses to 14-6 on the year and 9-4 in the SUNYAC.
A pair of 8-0 runs opened the contest, beginning with Fredonia in the first 3:15 of the quarter. The Lakers finally got on the board at 5:44 when Mary Mazzella knocked down a jumper. That jumper sparked an 8-0 Oswego spurt that took just 53 seconds, knotting the game at 8-8 midway through the first quarter.
Fredonia was able to score on its next possession, regaining a lead that it would hold heading into the locker room at halftime. The Blue Devil advantage grew to as many as 12 in the second quarter, but a late Tayler Sorell 3-pointer put the Lakers within single digits, 35-26, at the break.
In a sort of déjà vu, the two squads nearly mimicked their first half opening, this time with each recording 6-0 spans to open the second half. Fredonia started the trend with six points in the first 2:02 before Oswego answered with treys from Sorell and Mary Mazzella to match the Blue Devil run. A more than five-minute window without a field-goal followed for the Lakers, allowing Fredonia to gain control of the game and not look back.
Three Lakers finished in double-digits in the point column, paced by Mazzella's 19 on 6-for-14 (42.9%) shooting from the field. She also set a new career-high with six steals while distributing a team-high four assists. Sorell followed close behind with 15 points of her own, all coming on 3-pointers. Alison Nunziato, after missing two games with an injury, bounced right back in efficient fashion, tallying 10 points in just 22 minutes of action.
For the second-straight game it was a team effort on the boards, as the Lakers outrebounded the Blue Devils 46-41. Zana Dillard had a game-high 12 rebounds, representing the 12th-time the sophomore has had double-figure boards in a contest this year. In all, either other Lakers collected rebounds on the night, combining for the remaining 34 caroms.
Oswego will return to the floor at 2 p.m. on Saturday when it hosts Buffalo State in a league showdown. Prior to the contest, the Lakers will honor Sorell, their lone senior, for Senior Day.
