OSWEGO, N.Y. – Both the Oswego State men's and women's basketball teams know they have their hands full when Cortland comes to town. On Saturday, the Laker squads will host the Red Dragons in the Oswego State Games of the Week.
Both the men and women are coming off tough battles at New Paltz on Tuesday night. The men battled back and forth with the Hawks, and it took career highs of seven three-pointers and 29 points by freshman
Kyle Covley (Penfield, N.Y.) to garner an 80-78 win. The women trailed by just one point with 26 seconds left after trailing by as many as 13 in the second half, but fell short in a 56-53 loss to the undefeated Hawks.
Here's what to look for on Saturday at Max Ziel Gymnasium.
Men's Basketball
The men's team has registered a 6-1 record in the last three years against the Red Dragons, including a 66-57 win in the SUNYAC Championship last season, Oswego State's first conference title since 1965.
The Lakers' leading scorer,
Hayden Ward (Sr., Montauk, N.Y.) has career averages of 11.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game against Cortland. Last season, Ward torched the Red Dragons for averages of 18 points and 10 rebounds per contest in three matchups. In the SUNYAC Final, Ward registered 24 points and 13 rebounds and was selected to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.
Both the Cortland and Oswego State men's basketball teams are 13-3 overall, but the Red Dragons hold a slim one-game edge in the conference standings over the Lakers.
The Lakers have won four of their last six games, but their offensive output has told the story of late. In its four wins, Oswego State averaged 77.3 points per game. However, in two losses the Lakers have averaged 54 points.
The Red Dragons are on a five-game tear, in which they've dropped 100 or more points on two occasions. Their only two conference losses are by a combined 11 points. Cortland also boasts the best margin of victory in the conference, winning its games by an average of 12 points.
This contest will also showcase defense, as the Lakers and Red Dragons have two of the top three scoring defenses in the conference, with the Lakers on top and Cortland sitting in third.
Women's Basketball
The women's team hasn't had nearly as much success against the Red Dragons of late, having lost 13 straight games to Cortland. The last win the Lakers recorded against the Red Dragons was the 2006 SUNYAC Championship game after losing to them during the regular season.
Kari Kipper (Sr., Loudonville, N.Y.) tallied 12 points in both games against Cortland last season, but the Lakers were outdone by the Red Dragons in each game.
Coming into this season's match, the Lakers are having a calendar year. Oswego State is 12-4 overall and boasts a 6-3 SUNYAC record, which is third best in the conference. On the other side, Cortland is having a down year. One year after a SUNYAC Semifinal appearance, the Red Dragons are 6-9 overall and 4-5 in SUNYAC play.
However, the Lakers are 3-44 overall against the Red Dragons, so season records don't matter when it comes to this matchup. A win for Oswego State could help usher Cortland out of the playoff picture, which could benefit the Lakers in the long run.
Following a five-game losing streak, the Red Dragons have won three of their last five contests. After starting the season 9-1, the Lakers have lost three of their last four and are on a two-game skid. The Lakers shot under 37 percent in each of their last three losses, even falling below 30 percent in two of those games.
Two of their losses were by 20 or more points, so the Lakers are in dire need of a rebound game.
If you're not in Oswego yet, follow the game at the links below:
