EDINBURG, TEXAS – The 20th-ranked Oswego State men's basketball team (9-2) was tied with Division I Texas-Pan American (4-13) with five minutes remaining, but the host Broncs managed to come away with a 59-54 win to end the Lakers' nine-game winning streak.  Hayden Ward (Jr., Montauk, N.Y.) scored two of his game-high 18 points to help Oswego State nearly come back from a double-digit deficit.  

The Lakers were even with the Broncs at eight points apiece before the home team started to find a rhythm on both ends of the floor.  Oswego State struggled from the field in the first 20 minutes due to the Texas-Pan American defense, resulting in the Lakers shooting 37.9 percent (11-for-29) and 10.0 percent from three-point range (1-for-10).  However, the Broncs shot a solid 46.4 percent (13-for-28) and owned a 22-11 advantage on the boards to take a 33-23 lead into halftime.

Oswego State started the second half strong with a 10-2 run capped off by a Hayden Ward three-pointer to bring the Lakers to within two points at 35-33.  With under 15 minutes to play, Ward hit another trey from the top of the key to make the score 37-36.  The Broncs took a seven-point, 47-40 lead, and appeared to be starting to take control of the game until Ward hit his third long-range shot to silence the crowd with the score at 47-43 with nine minutes to play.

The rest of the team started to catch fire as Conor Monaghan (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Sean Michele (Sr., East Rochester, N.Y.) hit three-pointers to make the score 51-50, and Oswego State tied the score at 53-53 when Ward hit a free throw with 4:21.  The Lakers finished the half going 6-for-13 from downtown compared to Texas-Pan American cooling off as it missed all seven three-pointers.

However, the Broncs went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the final minute to seal the win.  

Monaghan joined Ward in double-figures with 12 points, while Chad Burridge (Sr., Hannibal, N.Y.) finished with nine points and ten boards.  Michele recorded six points and eight assists.  Texas-Pan American was led by Aaron Urbanus off the bench with 12 points, as all nine Bronc players scored at least three points.  Oswego State finished the game going 19-for-53 (35.8 percent) from the floor, while the home team ended up shooting 40.8 percent on 20-for-49.  The Lakers went 9-for-14 from the charity stripe compared to the Broncs, who went 17-for-19.   

The contest marked the first time since December 9, 1972 that Oswego State had faced a Division I opponent to move to 1-16 all-time against Division I squads.

Oswego State faces Medgar Evers College on Monday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in New York City.