ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Oswego State men's basketball team had its valiant second-half comeback fall just short, 78-69, against Calvin College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship, held at the University of Mount Union.
 
Trailing 36-29 at the half, the Lakers faced the task of erasing a deficit that grew to 15 less than two minutes into the final period as the Knights opened on an 8-0 run. Oswego did not waver in its game plan, however, switching to a zone defense that stifled Calvin down the stretch.
 
At the 11:30 mark, the Knights made a free-throw to extend their lead to 12, 59-47. The Lakers then answered with a Kyle Covley 3-pointer that sparked a 15-4 run, which ended with a Sortino layup. That 15-4 spurt lasted 5:05, and the sophomore's lay-in at the rim gave Oswego its first lead of the contest, 64-63 with 6:25 remaining in regulation. It proved to be the Lakers' only lead of the game, as the two squads went nip-and-tuck over the final moments, with Calvin pulling away in the last 60 seconds.
 
In the opening period, the teams traded baskets on the first possession, with Calvin's coming from beyond the arc for an early 3-2 lead. The Knights then scored the game's next six points, and held the lead for the remainder of the half. Oswego, who trailed by as many as 12 at 26-14 with 7:53 to play in the half, would not fade. Over a 4:55 stretch, the Lakers put together a 12-4 run to pull to within four at 30-26. The run was started by Brian Sortino, who scored five-straight points in a less than 30 second span. Sortino drove the lane for a quick layup and then drained a jumper on the next possession while getting fouled by a Calvin defender. The SUNYAC first-teamer knocked down the ensuing free throw to shrink the Knight margin to seven at 26-19 with 6:45 remaining in the period.
 
Sortino's five-point stretch was part of his Laker-leading nine points in the first 20 minutes. In the first, Oswego also got help on offense from Kyle Covley, who scored seven, while Walter Sampson and Mark Candelario each chipped in five. Senior Rashawn Powell paced Oswego on the glass, collecting eight first-half boards.
 
Covley and Sortino finished the contest tied for a game-high 21 points. Powell wrapped up his Laker career with a stat he accomplished 16 times over his career, all in the last two season, scoring 11 points to go along with 12 caroms for a double-double. Alex Rawa helped on the glass, gather seven boards while Sortino added five.
 
The Lakers finish the 2014-15 campaign with a 19-10 overall record and their second SUNYAC Championship title in the last four years.