The Oswego State Lakers are looking to start their 2018-2019 season strong the by winning the Max Ziel Tournament. The Lakers started off their season and the tournament by beating the Elmira Soaring Eagles 106-67. Their next opponent is the SUNY Poly Wildcats, the two teams will be battling for the Max Ziel Tournament championship.

The Lakers will be entering today’s game hot after their performance against Elmira College the day before. The Lakers came out firing on all cylinders, opening the game on a 12-0 run setting the tone for their game. After this early run, the Lakers never looked back making sure to not let up on the Soaring Eagles at any point during the game.

Head coach Jason Leone’s prediction of having a “balanced scoring attack” proved to be accurate with six Lakers players scoring in double digits. Junior Brandon Gartland led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 8-11 from the field and 6-8 from the three-point line. He served as an early spark for the team scoring 20 of his 26 points in the first half of the game. The Lakers came out with defensive intensity, forcing Elmira, a three-point shooting team, to shoot only 3-19 from three. The defensive strategy fell in line with Leone’s mindset.

“[It was] a more intelligent and committed defensive team, particularly defending the three-point line,” Leone said.

Today, the Lakers play the SUNY Poly Wildcats for the Max Ziel Tournament title and are looking to repeat their impressive performance from last night. SUNY Poly enters today’s game fresh off a victory against SUNY Purchase where the Wildcats won 76-63.

Oswego State has its eyes set on winning the Max Ziel Tournament and bringing the title back home. Max Ziel, who the tournament is named after, was a legendary coach at Oswego State and a prominent figure in the history of the Lakers’ basketball program. The tournament is very significant to the basketball program and the team as a whole.

Having a tournament named in his honor is quite a special thing and comes with a responsibility of us playing real well,” Leone said.

With the history and significance of the tournament’s namesake, Oswego State winning the Max Ziel Tournament is deeper than just a basketball game, it is more about what Max Ziel has done for the program to get to this point.

With the Lakers’ strong and intense play against Elmira College, expect them to come out with the same attitude. With a repeat of the balanced scoring attack and defensive intensity the Lakers had that game, they are surely to get this win under their belts and win the Max Ziel Tournament. A win today would mark a strong start for the long 2018-2019 season that is ahead of them.

The Lakers will be playing home and coming off an excellent performance, with that home court advantage they will have more of an edge than SUNY Poly.

Lakers take the win, 80-70.