By Sydney Havens

The Oswego State women’s basketball team fell to SUNY Fredonia, ending their season on a cold streak. The team had lost their past two games after a close 56-52 win over SUNY Oneonta back on Feb. 12 at Dewar Arena. 

It was at The Lakers most recent matchup on Feb. 19 against SUNY Ferdonia, where they lost by a score of 60-68. In the matchup Diamond Pickett led both teams in scoring with 19 points on top of an incredibly impressive 16 rebounds. She was one of four Lakers who recorded double digit points on the night with Raiven Encarnacion, Danielle Caivana and Shania Iglesias combining for 25 points. Unfortunately, Oswego State scoring came almost exclusively from these four and nowhere else. The Blue Devils held the team to just over 34% shooting and was able to hold onto the victory.

The other losses during the downhill streak included a tough one-point loss against SUNY Brockport, a 19-point loss against SUNY New Paltz and a 14-point loss against Buffalo State. A tough stretch of games, all against SUNYAC opponents, Head Coach Sean Pinketon says the losses have taught his players good life lessons. 

“Life isn’t fair but you have to respond to adversity, you have to respond to things not working out the way that you had planned, or hoped or wanted because of outside factors that you have no control over,” Pinkerton said.

This Lakers team did very well in the 2018-2019 season, but faced setbacks as multiple players suffered from serious injuries. The 2020 season was cut short by COVID-19 and it was an uphill battle to get back on track after that. The current season brought its own challenges, with Raiven Encarnacion having to sit out for a month with severe shin splints. According to Pinketon, the team could not catch a break this season. 

The Lakers faced some hard losses this season, with most games ending on a close score. Pinkerton attributes these narrow losses to consistency. He says the team did improve a lot over the season, but were ultimately held back by their lack of consistency on the offensive end of the floor. 

The end of the season meant that the team had to say goodbye to two seniors as well. Encarnacion and Daniella Caivanna were integral members of the team. Pinkerton explained that it was the guidance of these seniors that motivated the rest of the team.

“It was a bittersweet moment because we had the opportunity to acknowledge everything that they have done, but at the same time to know that their time is up, is a sad moment,” Pinkerton said. “They are phenomenal kids and kids who have done a lot for the program, the legacy that they have helped build is what we have to honor going forward to continue to get better.” 

Encarnacion formed a close bond with Pinkerton over her five years on the team. She plans to be his assistant coach for a group of young travel basketball players this summer. Pinkerton described the emotions that were felt by Encarnacion and Caivanna’s teammates when the final buzzer sounded. 

“They found each other on the floor and hugged and cried for a minute,” Pinkerton said. 

Despite the hardships this team has faced over the 2021-2022 season, their coach stays optimistic. Pinkerton says that these hard lessons teach his players how to persevere, and how to overcome challenges. Pinkerton tries to keep in mind that sometimes some things are out of their control. 

The Lakers came very close to making it to the SUNYAC championships, but came up short. Regardless, Pinkerton says he’s excited to see the younger players grow, the ones who maybe didn’t have as many opportunities on the court this season. 

“All of them are talented, it’s a really good young group, seeing how they keep learning and growing is exciting for all of us and it’s something that I look forward to,“ Pinkerton said. 

The Lakers season is now over, but they are looking forward to improving next year. They finished with a record of 5-19 (2-16 SUNYAC). They began the year 2-4 and had a two-game winning streak at the start of the season. 

Geneseo and Oneonta will move on to the SUNYAC women’s basketball semifinals after winning first round games on Feb. 22.

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics