For the second straight season, the Oswego State men’s basketball team are headed to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA National Championship after defeating the No.10 ranked John Carroll University.

The last time Oswego State played a nationally ranked opponent, it was a little over a year ago when they were defeated by the then No.2 ranked Marietta College Pioneers 81-89. Flash forward to March 4 when the Lakers took on the Blue Streaks in the second round of the national tournament in the Max Ziel Gymnasium.

John Carroll was the first team to book their spot in the Round of 32 after defeating the Albertus Magnus Falcons the day before by a score of 91-80. At the center of the action for the Blue Streaks was star guard Luke Chicone. With 28 points on the night, Chicone was one away from tying his career high in points. Also among the scoring for John Carroll was Chase Toppin who paired 21 points with eight rebounds on the night as the Blue Streaks rolled past Albertus Magnus.

The Lakers would lock up their spot in the next round after a convincing win over Marymount University (VA). Like John Carroll, Oswego State had two players finish with over 20 points in their game. Ahkee Anderson put in a stellar performance with 24 points and five assists. Jeremiah Sparks also put on a show with his 21 points and eight rebounds. Also, like clockwork, Cartier Bowman secured himself a double-double, his third in his last five games. The Lakers would win this game 80-62 in front of over 500 fans on their home court.

The following day, Oswego State once again took the court for a matchup that encapsulated the attention of Div.III basketball fans and analysts across the country. The country’s No.6 ranked Oswego State versus No.10 John Carroll University.

Despite how close the teams were in the rankings; the game did not get out to the same start. Oswego State fell behind early, after an early blitz by the Blue Streaks put them up by 12-2 with five and a half minutes played. Eventually, the Lakers shook off their nervy start and began to climb back.

With just over eight minutes left in the first half, Oswego State had brought the scores back to within one possession. Lakers guard Devin Green was of the utmost importance during this stretch. Amongst his 11 first half points, he kicked off a string of good 3-pointers that gave the Lakers their first lead of the half with just over seven minutes left before the break. Two successful free throws from Sparks in the las seconds saw the Lakers end the half ahead by a score of 33-30.

At the start of the second half, the Lakers came out with unmatched ferocity going on a 16-2 run. Now up 49-32, it was Oswego State’s turn to weather the storm of a John Carroll comeback attempt. Throughout the half, the Blue Streaks went on a handful of small scoring runs that chipped away at the lead. Anderson, yet again, was the focal point of the Lakers offense with his signature mid-range jumper and layup keeping John Carroll at arm’s length.

While he finished with a respectable 11 points on the night, it was clear that the Blue Streaks were missing the influence of Chicone. With two early points, the star guard failed to record another point until there was just over five minutes left in the game.

However, the impact he did have was important. As the Lakers dealt with foul trouble late in the game, Chicone and the rest of the Blue Streaks brought the game back to within five points with a minute and a half left. With time dwindling, Bowman was fouled three times. Twice for one-and-one opportunities where he missed both and once for two guaranteed free throw attempts where he dropped one of two. Despite the late game struggles at the charity stripe, Bowman was clutch in securing crucial rebounds that inevitably put the game on ice and saw the Lakers over the finish line.

With the berth into the company of the nation’s top 16 teams, Leone said how he wants his team to “carry a flagstaff” for not only the school and the team but considering the little success of Region Three teams in the national tournament, for the region. He also said how important the win is for his players and the program.

“To do this four times in seven years is really hard,” Leone said. “I’m just really proud of the group of guys that we got, but we’re moving on at this point our goal is to compete and to keep this train moving.”

Finally, Green noted how important the home crowd was in their performances on the weekend. Speaking for the team, he said how it meant “everything.”

“With not having as many [regular season] home games this year, we cherish each one we have,” Green said. “Especially having the tournament here, being able to bring everybody out was everything.”         

With the win the Lakers move on to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. This time in order to keep on dancing, they will need to defeat No.1 ranked Randolph-Macon College. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. on March 10 as Oswego State will look to upset the Yellow Jackets who are currently the favorites to win the national championship and raise the walnut and bronze for the second year in a row.

Photo provided by: Spencer Bates