CORTLAND, NY - The Oswego Women's Basketball team continued their season on the road against SUNY Cortland for a conference game matchup.
THE BASICS
Oswego 56 (5-7, 2-3)
Cortland 68 (10-2, 5-0)
Location: Whitney T. Corey '43 Gymnasium | SUNY Cortland | Cortland, NY
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening quarter started with a slow offensive pace, as neither team scored in the first minute until Cortland broke the silence with two free throws. The Red Dragons built early momentum with an uninterrupted scoring run, leading 8-0 before Oswego's Shania Iglesias answered with a three-pointer to put the Lakers on the board. As the quarter progressed, the Lakers found their rhythm, tying the game 8-8 thanks to a layup by Giavanna White-Principio and two free throws from Macey DeOrdio. Cortland responded by pushing their lead to 15-10 before a timeout with three minutes remaining. The Red Dragons extended their lead to double digits, but Iglesias sparked the Lakers' offense with a three-pointer, followed by another from DeOrdio. In the final moments, White-Principio drew a foul, converting two free throws to narrow the margin to one possession, ending the quarter with Oswego trailing 18-20.
The second quarter opened with both teams struggling to score, exchanging possessions for two minutes before Giavanna White-Principio tied the game at 20-20 with a layup. After another minute of silence, the Red Dragons reignited their offense, going on a seven-point run to regain the lead. Both teams showcased intense, competitive play on both ends of the court. Shania Iglesias helped Oswego regain momentum with a layup midway through the quarter, followed by White-Principio contributing two more layups and Iglesias sinking a jumper to bring the Lakers within one point, 28-29 with under three minutes remaining. Despite Oswego's strong defensive efforts, Cortland managed to extend their lead as the half progressed. The Lakers remained persistent but entered halftime down 30-36.
The third quarter began with Cortland missing their opening shot, allowing Macey DeOrdio to grab a defensive rebound and set up Shania Iglesias for a layup. Both teams exchanged baskets before Cortland capitalized on a foul with two free throws and launched another scoring streak, pushing their lead into double digits at 45-34. However, the Lakers fought back, narrowing the margin with contributions from Giavanna White-Principio, DeOrdio, and Elaina Johnson, bringing the score to 41-47. After a timeout and a series of scoreless possessions, Iglesias added another layup to close the gap further. With just a minute remaining, Cortland sank a three-pointer, immediately countered by White-Principio's layup. The third quarter ended with Oswego trailing 45-52 but still within striking distance.
The fourth quarter opened with Cortland stealing the ball and scoring a layup to extend their lead. The intensity of the game increased significantly, with more aggressive play leading to frequent whistles and stoppages. Despite balanced play, the Lakers struggled to chip away at the scoring margin, trailing 47-57 after a timeout with seven minutes remaining. A three-pointer from Macey DeOrdio provided a spark, but Cortland maintained control, holding an eleven-point lead with five minutes left. As the clock wound down, rising physicality brought players to the free-throw line repeatedly, while Oswego fought against the shot clock in search of scoring opportunities. Ultimately, the Red Dragons prevailed, and the Lakers fell 56-68.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Lakers will return to action on Friday, January 17, playing against SUNY Potsdam for a SUNYAC matchup. The game will take place at Potsdam's Jerry Welsh Gymnasium, with tip-off set to take place at 5:30 PM.
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