Early on, it looked as though it was going to be a back-and-forth contest between SUNY New Paltz and Oswego State, but the Lakers took control in the second half and earned their 13th consecutive victory by a score of 68-57 on Tuesday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium in Laker Hall.

After trailing 20-18 with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, Oswego State (20-3, 15-1 SUNYAC) took charge, going on a run that would end up giving the team a 31-24 halftime lead, a lead the Lakers would not relinquish.

The Lakers continued their scoring streak in the second half, leading by as much as 15 with over six minutes left in the game. Despite allowing the Hawks (11-12, 7-10 SUNYAC) to climb within six points with under a minute left, Oswego State was able to hang on for the win.

"We had a good game," junior forward Chad Burridge said. "We came out a little slow to start off with, then we kind of picked it up a little more. We were able to weather the storms that hit us and able to come out of it with a win."

Burridge recorded his fifth double-double of the season, posting a game-high 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Chris Gilkes and junior guard Conor Monaghan also put up double digit points, scoring 12 and 11, respectively.

Head coach Adam Stockwell believed the game was a great all-around team effort.

"I thought a lot of guys did a lot of good things," Stockwell said. "Everybody kind of did a little something. I thought it was probably one of our better team efforts."

Junior guard Shereef Taylor led New Paltz with 14 points. The Hawks have now lost five games in a row, all coming against SUNYAC opponents.

The win for Oswego State also marks a 12th consecutive win in conference play, a run that includes an 81-70 victory over the Hawks earlier this season. The Lakers will look to continue that streak and prepare for the SUNYAC Championships, as they will host SUNY Brockport at 8 p.m. on Friday.