Coming off of a big win vs. SUNY Oneonta, the Oswego State men’s basketball team is back home this weekend for two games vs. SUNY Geneseo Friday and The College at Brockport Saturday. 

The game Saturday for the Oswego State is also Senior Night. The Lakers will honor Joe Sullivan, Brandan Gartland and Tim Marshall for their time as athletes playing for the Oswego State basketball program. 

Friday Feb. 21 vs. SUNY Geneseo 

Last Time Out

Last time around was a road game for Oswego State. The Lakers were down 10 late in the first half 25-15 then went on a 14-0 run to take the lead 29-25. The Lakers went into the break leading 33-30. The game was tied 42-42 then the Lakers went on a 11-2 run, a lead they would hold for the rest of the game. The lead got as high as 19 when the Lakers led 68-49 and they would eventually walk out of SUNY Geneseo with a 70-59 victory. Liam Sanborn led all scorers for the Lakers finishing with 21 points. Joe Sullivan finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds of his own. Alex Merhige and Michael Gannon finished with 12 points a piece in the loss for the Knights. 

Players to Watch

Oswego State: Joe Sullivan

Sullivan continues to play his best basketball of the year at the right time. Over the past five contests, Sullivan is averaging 20.2 points per game. In his most recent game vs. SUNY Oneonta, he finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. Sullivan finished with a double-double last time vs. the Knights, expect no different Friday. 

SUNY Geneseo: Michael Gannon

Gannon currently leads the Knights in scoring averaging 15 points per game. Gannon also shots a very efficient 49.5 percent from the field. His best game this season came against The College at Brockport Jan. 25 where he finished with 28 points, shooting 12-16 from the field. He recently scored 22 points in a win vs. Buffalo State Feb. 11. Gannon shot 8-11 from the field in the win. 

Prediction

SUNY Geneseo is going to come out playing hard as it is playing for the final playoff spot in the SUNYAC. However, Oswego State is playing big games itself as it wants to secure a first-round home game. Oswego State wins this one 79-60.

Saturday Feb. 22 vs. The College at Brockport

Last Time Out

The last meeting between Oswego State and The College at Brockport was a rematch of last season’s SUNYAC championship game. The Lakers won that championship game 55-50. This season, the two met back on Dec. 6. It was a thriller of a game, as it was back and forth for the entirety of it. The Golden Eagles took a 36-32 lead into the half, a lead they would not lose until 6:08 left in the second half when Colby Moultrie would hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 58-55 lead. The game would come right down to the final seconds as Jahidi Wallace hit a free-throw to give the Golden Eagles a 68-67 lead. Justin Summers secured a block as time expired and the Golden Eagles walked out with the 68-67 victory. Wallace led the way for the Golden Eagles in the win, finishing with 27 points. Summers finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks as well. For the Lakers, Moultrie finished with 20 points and Jeremiah Sparks added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Players to Watch

Oswego State: Brandan Gartland and Colby Moultrie

The 3-point shot is the strength of both of these players. Gartland is currently shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc and leads the team with 58 3-pointers. Gartland has also caught hot as of late, he is averaging 19.7 points per game over the last four contests. He is also averaging four 3-pointers made per game during that stretch. Moultrie is only averaging 3.6 points per game on the season, but when Moultrie gets open and gets hot, he does not miss. Moultrie’s 20 points last time out vs. the Golden Eagles was a career high. His 6 3-pointers in the loss was also a career high. Moultrie’s minutes have increased over the past five contests, and he has found himself in the rotation of players receiving big minutes. Look out for both in the game Saturday. 

The College at Brockport: Justin Summers

Summers leads the Golden Eagles in points per game averaging 17.4. He also averages 7.4 rebounds and leads the team in blocks with 21. Summers best game this year came in a 26-point, 10-rebound performance back on Dec. 15 against Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Summers did struggle shooting the ball vs. the Lakers last time out, as he shot 4-13, but he was still a presence down low, finishing with the double-double and six blocks. Expect him to remain a presence down low Saturday night.

Prediction

Expect this one to be very close just like the last matchup was. The Golden Eagles currently sit at the top of the SUNYAC standings and look as if they have clinched a first-round bye. That will not stop the importance of this game. The Lakers are playing for seeding and want to show they are still one of the best teams in the SUNYAC. Truthfully, this game could go either way, but The College at Brockport wins this one 71-66. 

SUNYAC Update

Updated standings as of Friday, Feb. 21:

1. The College at Brockport: 20-3 (15-1 SUNYAC)
2. SUNY Oneonta: 17-6 (13-3 SUNYAC)
3. SUNY Potsdam: 18-5 (13-3 SUNYAC)
4. Oswego State: 17-6 (11-5 SUNYAC)
5. SUNY Cortland: 16-7 (10-6 SUNYAC)
6. SUNY Geneseo: 9-14 (6-10 SUNYAC)
7. Plattsburgh State: 8-15 (5-11 SUNYAC)
8. SUNY Fredonia: 8-16 (4-13 SUNYAC)
9. Buffalo State: 5-16 (3-14 SUNYAC)
10. SUNY New Paltz 5-18 (1-15 SUNYAC)

Other SUNYAC teams in action Friday:

• SUNY New Paltz travels to Plattsburg State, tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
• The College at Brockport heads to SUNY Cortland, tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
• SUNY Potsdam hosts SUNY Oneonta, tip-off at 7:30 p.m. 

Other SUNYAC teams in action Saturday:

• SUNY Geneseo travels to SUNY Cortland, tip-off at 4 p.m.
• SUNY Oneonta heads to Plattsburgh State, tip-off at 4 p.m. 
• SUNY Fredonia hosts Buffalo State, tip-off at 4 p.m.
• SUNY New Paltz heads to SUNY Potsdam, tip-off at 4 p.m.

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Photo by Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian