Oswego State had three starters score in double digits, led by senior Tommy Downing (Staten Island/Curtis) with a game high 23 points, but the visiting Lakers could not hold off Clarkson University down the stretch, surrendering a 66-60 lead with 8:03 to play in the game as the Golden Knights went on a 21-8 run for the rest of the game to come away with an 81-74 non-conference win in Potsdam.

It was the third straight defeat for Oswego (5-4) in its final non-league contest before moving into SUNYAC play for the remainder of the season.

Downing played 36 minutes on the floor, connecting on nine of 20 field goals, including three of five from 3-point range. Junior Stanley Francois registered the "double-double" with 18 points (8-for-12 shooting from the floor) and a game-leading 15 rebounds, while freshman Conor Monaghan (Brooklyn/Xavier) contributed 11 points, hitting two of three shots from beyond the arc.

There were two lead changes and six ties as Clarkson (9-2), which led for much of the first half, went into halftime with a 45-44 lead. The Lakers took the lead for the first time in the half (18-16) on a Downing layup with 11:20 remaining and built the lead to four points 17 seconds later on a pair of free throws by Jamal Lightbourne (Elmsford/Alexander Hamilton). A Clarkson three pointer cut the lead to a point, but Downing answered with his own three-pointer for a 23-19 advantage before Clarkson used a 10-0 run to jump to a six-point advantage (29-23) with 8:14 to play in the half, a lead that they would hold until the final 1:22, when Oswego would score the final five points to pull to within a point (45-44) at halftime.

The second half would open with six lead changes and four ties, the last coming at 58-58 with 11:31 to play, before the Lakers would go on an 8-2 run to take a 66-60 lead as Francois scored five points in the stretch while Downing connected on a three-pointer.  Clarkson responded by running off the next nine points to take the lead for good at 67-66 with 6:34 to play.

Five players scored in double digits for the Golden Knights, led by Brandon Linton wirh 18 points. Elson Pickering followed with 16 points.

Oswego will resume conference play on Saturday, Jan. 10 with an 8 p.m. contest at SUNY Cortland.

BOXSCORE