On Saturday night, the Lakers will honor their three seniors in a game against SUNYAC-leading The College at Brockport. Those three seniors are Joe Sullivan, Brandan Gartland and Tim Marshall. Each player had a different journey before coming and playing for the Lakers, and now the three of them will be honored together for their hard work and commitment as athletes for the Oswego State basketball program.
“They have had a great legacy of success here and have been great contributors in the areas of leadership, and obviously their on the court talent,” Oswego State head coach Jason Leone said. “It is always a hard deal to see the end coming soon, but the good thing about our program is usually Senior Day hasn’t been our last home game, so we are very hopeful we play well this weekend so we can have one more home game.”
Sullivan attended Notre Dame High School in Utica, then attended Div. I Assumption College before transferring to Oswego State as a junior. Sullivan instantly made an impact for the Lakers, as he started 29 of the 30 games he appeared in as a junior and averaged 9.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. This season as a senior, Sullivan’s numbers have improved as he is averaging 15 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Some of Sullivan’s best performances have come this season, including a great performance against St. Lawrence University where he finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. He has also had two 25-point performances this season against Clarkson University and SUNY Cortland.
Gartland attended Webster Schroeder High School before coming to Oswego State, where he played all four seasons. Gartland brings a consistent threat of his 3-point shot and has contributed in each of his seasons. Over the course of Gartland’s Oswego State career, he has shot 40.2% from the 3-point line and has hit a total of 163 3-pointers in the process. Gartland is averaging 13 points per game in his senior season and has scored in double-figures in 18 of the 23 games this season. His season high in points is 22 on two separate occasions vs. Plattsburgh State and Ithaca College.
Marshall is a local product from Baldwinsville. Marshall has dealt with a knee injury which sidelined him for 10 games of his senior season, but that did not stop Marshall. He has found his way back and has played in nine games since returning on Jan. 10 vs. SUNY Fredonia. Marshall is an instant threat from the 3-point line and that is where he does most of his damage. Marshall is a career 38% shooter from the 3-point line during his career at Oswego State, and 121 of his 176 field goal attempts have come from beyond the arc. Despite missing games to injury, Marshall is back playing the game he loves and stays ready to contribute at any moment.
“It was really cool to get more of an opportunity to play with my guys and have fun and have that love for the game,” Marshall said. “I’ve worked so hard for three years, and it paid off.”
With seniors comes many memories for the coach who has been with them every step of the way. Leone spoke about each of the three seniors and the favorite memories he has with each of them.
“With Joe Sullivan, my favorite memory is when he committed to come here,” Leone said. “He was a game changer for us. We were coming off my worst year when we were 14-13, and he filled a need that we really had. The day he said ‘yes,’ I’ll never forget it.”
Sullivan hopes to pursue a career overseas after graduation and continue playing basketball.
“With Brandan, I remember the shot he hit against SUNY Oneonta last year on the road,” Leone said. “It is a place where we don’t typically play well and he hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game.”
Gartland hopes to stay at Oswego State next year to pursue a Master’s Degree in Accounting.
“My favorite moment with Tim was actually last night [Tuesday vs. Oneonta],” Leone said. “He came off the bench in a critical role, where we were down a couple starters and knocked down two really big 3-pointers that I thought really helped us open up a lead.”
Marshall, when asked about his future plans after Oswego State, had a very college-like response, which many could probably relate to.
“Looking for a job,” Marshall said.
Each player has had great careers and many memorable moments at Oswego State. From Sullivan and Gartland’s 1000th points, to Marshall’s return this year from a knee injury. However, when all three players were asked about their favorite moment as a Laker, they all had the same exact answer: winning a SUNYAC Championship.
“It is something you work for over the years, especially when you play and really love the grind,” Sullivan said, in regards to scoring his 1000th point earlier this season. “But the most important thing is a SUNYAC Championship. We want two in two years. That’s really all we are worried about right now.”
