Oswego, NY – The Oswego State men's basketball team punched its ticket to the 2026 SUNYAC Championship with an 83–69 semifinal victory over Oneonta at Whitney T. Corey '43 Gymnasium, Behind a dominant 30-point performance from Jayson McGhee
BASICS
SUNYAC Tournament Semi Finals
Oswego: 83 (23-4, 16-3 SUNYAC)
Oneonta: 69 (17-9, 15-4 SUNYAC)
Whitney T. Corey '43 Gymnasium | Cortland, NY
HOW IT HAPPENED
Oswego came out firing, with Arthur Foster opening the game's scoring and helping the Lakers jump to a quick 10–2 lead. Oneonta responded with a push of its own, narrowing the gap as Cam LaClair scored four straight to make it 12–8 with 12 minutes left. The Lakers regained control moments later. A Jayson McGhee three-pointer out of the rhythm extended the lead to 19–13 heading into the media timeout. Out of the break, two Deacon Judd free throws and another McGhee bucket stretched the margin to 24–15 with 7:47 remaining. After a 29-point performance in the quarterfinal round vs Morrisville, McGhee remained dialed in offensively, starting 2-for-2 from deep and eventually pouring in 10 straight points for Oswego. His step-back three pushed the lead to 31–19 at the 4:13 mark, giving the Lakers their first double-digit advantage of the night. The Lakers closed a successful first half with a deep buzzer-beating three from McGhee to send the Lakers into the locker room up 38–25.
Oswego pulled away early in the second half, continuing to pile on against the Red Dragons. A Chris Whyte-Luciano three-pointer pushed the lead to 20 with 12 minutes remaining. Oneonta continued to respond late in the half, cutting the deficit to 12 with four minutes left, behind 16 second-half points from Pat Evans. But the Lakers held firm down the stretch, defeating the Red Dragons 83-69 McGhee led all scorers with 30 points on 6-for-9 shooting from deep, while Judd added 19 points and 11 rebounds to secure the win.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Lakers advance to the SUNYAC Championship, with their opponent still to be determined on Saturday at 4 p.m. With a conference crown on the line, the Lakers will aim to secure their first SUNYAC title since 2023.
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