The Oswego State men’s basketball team’s seven game winning streak was snapped Tuesday after falling to SUNY Oneonta 76-66. 

Following the loss, the Lakers record has moved to 11-3 (5-2 SUNYAC) on the season, and they currently sit in fourth place in the SUNYAC. This weekend, Oswego State has two road games, as it faces off against two more SUNYAC opponents. Friday, the Lakers face SUNY Potsdam (11-3, 6-1 SUNYAC) and Saturday, they face Plattsburgh State (5-9, 2-5 SUNYAC). 

Friday, Jan. 24 at SUNY Potsdam

Last Season’s Matchups

Last season, Oswego State went 2-0 vs. SUNY Potsdam. The first matchup was a home game for the Lakers that ended with a 72-70 win. It was Liam Sanborn who led the way for the Lakers, as he finished with 20 points and six assists. He also shot a perfect 4-4 from the 3-point line. The Lakers shot 12-21 from the 3-point line as a team, hitting six in each half. In the second meeting between the two teams, it was once again the Lakers coming out on top with a 68-53 victory. Brandan Gartland had himself a night, as he finished with 24 points and five assists. It is also worth noting, SUNY Potsdam finished with a 13-13 record last season. This season they are off to a significantly better start. 

Players to Watch

Oswego State: Jeremiah Sparks

Sparks has been playing fantastic for the Lakers. He is coming off of another game where he has scored over 20 points. Against SUNY Oneonta, Sparks finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. He did, however, finish with five turnovers, something to look out for in this contest. Over the past two games, Sparks has scored an impressive 54 points and has added 20 rebounds. Expect Sparks to continue to play a big role in the Lakers offense in a critical SUNYAC game vs. the Bears. 

SUNY Potsdam: Isaiah Brown

Brown has only played in five games so far this season for the Bears, but he is averaging 23 points and nine rebounds per game. He is coming off his best performance of the year so far, where he finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. Brown has scored 20 points or more in each contest he has played in, expect him to shoot for that mark again vs. the Lakers. 

Prediction

This one could go either way, and it is going to be a very back and forth close game. However, Oswego State will bounce back after the tough loss vs. SUNY Oneonta and wins this one 68-64.

Saturday, Jan. 25 at Plattsburgh State

Last Season’s Matchups 

Last season, both matchups between these two were very competitive, including a nail biter in the first meeting between the two. In that first matchup, the Lakers defeated the Cardinals 86-84 with a final-second floater from Liam Sanborn. At the time, the Cardinals were ranked 15^th in the nation and led by as much as 12 in the contest. It was Tyler Pierre who led the way for the Lakers, he finished with 22 points, shooting 10-11 from the field. In their second matchup with each other, it was the Cardinals taking the game in a 67-56 win. Oswego State shot a very poor 36.7% from the field, compared to Plattsburgh State’s 54.3%. The leading scorer for the Lakers was Liam Sanborn, with only 14 points. Plattsburgh State finished last season with a 20-7 overall record. This season, it is only 5-9 overall and have also lost its three leading scorers from last year. 

Players to Watch

Oswego State: Joe Sullivan

Sullivan struggled vs. SUNY Cortland Jan. 18, as he scored only four points and shot 1-8 from the field. He followed that performance with a solid bounce back game against SUNY Oneonta, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Sullivan is still averaging a double-double on the season at 14.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Despite the poor performance vs. the Red Dragons, expect Sullivan to return back to form this weekend and look out for a solid game vs. the Cardinals.

Plattsburgh State: Travis Cox

Cox is the leading scorer for the Cardinals at 17.5 points per game. Cox has scored 20 or more points in six contests this season with his best scoring performance coming against Buffalo State, where he finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Cox is definitely streaky, as he has failed to score 15 or more points in seven games this season. He certainly gets his shots up every game; it is just a matter if they find the net or not. 

Prediction

Oswego State takes this one fairly easily, winning this one 86-73.

Photo By Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian