CORTLAND, NY - The Oswego Men's basketball team continued their road trip from Morrisville to Cortland today, where they went up against the Red Dragons in a hard fought, competitive conference game.

THE BASICS
Oswego 65 (7-5, 3-2)
Cortland (5-7, 4-1)

Location: Whitney T. Corey '43 Gymnasium | SUNY Cortland | Cortland, NY


HOW IT HAPPENED
rebound and fed Ahkee Anderson for a jumper to start the scoring. Cortland quickly answered with a three-pointer, setting the tone for a competitive matchup. Following a minute of scoreless exchanges, Judd broke the silence with a layup, and Xavier Allen added a jumper to give Oswego a brief lead. However, Cortland tied the game at 6-6 with a three-pointer, sparking a momentum shift. The Red Dragons surged ahead with an 11-point run while the Lakers managed just two points during that stretch, falling behind 8-17. After an Oswego timeout, the Lakers returned with a layup from Billy Reyes and another jumper from Anderson, though Cortland matched each effort. Reyes later sank a three-pointer, helping the Lakers close the gap to 20-24 with eight minutes remaining. The scoring slowed for the next two minutes until Cortland extended their lead with a layup. Despite solid defensive efforts, Oswego struggled to find consistency on offense to close the gap. With three minutes left in the half, the Lakers trailed 25-31. In the final minutes, the game's intensity increased, with physical play leading to exchanged fouls and free throws. By halftime, Cortland maintained their lead, leaving Oswego behind 31-43.
 

The second half opened with both teams exchanging points during the early possessions. Key contributions from Deacon Judd, Gary McLane, Billy Reyes, and Ahkee Anderson kept the Lakers competitive, but they were unable to chip away significantly at the lead Cortland had established. With 13 minutes remaining and Oswego trailing 44-64, the Lakers called a timeout to regroup. Returning to the court, the Lakers missed their first offensive attempt but quickly regained control. Judd drew a foul for two free throws, then followed up with a layup where he earned another trip to the line, scoring five points in under a minute. Cortland responded with a three-pointer, and Xavier Allen added a jumper, bringing the score to 51-67. Despite moments of offensive success, the Lakers struggled to maintain momentum as Cortland's efficient shooting kept them firmly ahead. As Cortland extended their lead, the Lakers managed only two points during a stretch where the Red Dragons added ten. With five minutes remaining, Cortland called a timeout, holding a commanding 77-53 lead. Though Oswego fought hard to slow Cortland's offense, fatigue began to show in the Lakers' efforts. In the final minute, with the Lakers down by over 20 points, they managed to string together a few more baskets, narrowing the deficit slightly. However, the gap proved too large to overcome, and the Red Dragons secured the win 81-65.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Lakers will take a brief break and return to the court on Friday for another conference game, this time against SUNY Potsdam. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM at the Jerry Welsh Gymnasium in Potsdam, New York

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