Looking to snap their two-game losing streak, the Oswego State women’s basketball team traveled east for road games against Plattsburgh State and SUNY Potsdam.

The first game was against the Cardinals and they came out fast to begin the game on a 7-0 run. However, Macey DeOrdio stopped the bleeding with a fastbreak 3-pointer to get the team on the board. The Cardinals answered with a three of their own and closed out the first quarter with a 14-9 lead.

The Cardinals started the second quarter with a quick jumper, but the Lakers’ offense came alive and responded with ten unanswered points to take a three-point lead. The Cardinals regained the lead with an offensive spark of their own and closed out the quarter with a 24-21 lead.

The Lakers came out to play in the third quarter as their defense began to lock down and their offense started to settle in. Buckets from Zhane Holmes and Julia Logana helped the Lakers build a lead late in the quarter. The Lakers shot 70% from the field and held the Cardinals to 15% shooting to take a 41-34 lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter rolled around and Lakers Logan Castiglione took over. Whether it was from beyond the arc, in the paint or at the line, Castiglione was doing it all as she scored 11 points in the final ten minutes of play. The Lakers second-half magic helped the team hold on for a 58-49 win.

Castiglione finished with 19 points on 44% shooting. Giavanna White-Principio dominated the boards with 15 of the team’s 51 rebounds. The difference maker was the depth of the Lakers as their bench had 38 points compared to the Cardinals’ two.

After the win against the Cardinals, the Lakers took on the Bears in Potsdam. The Lakers led early 8-4, but the Bears went on a 9-0 run to take the lead. Despite the Lakers having trouble connecting from deep, they were able to keep it close as they found themselves down 15-13 after the first quarter. The Lakers started to heat up from three in the second quarter as Karleigh Leo cashed in twice from deep and DeOrdio knocked down another. The Lakers held a 30-23 lead with three minutes remaining in the second quarter, but the Bears’ offense went on another scoring run to cut the Lakers lead to 30-29 at the half.

The Bears carried their momentum from the end of the second quarter into the third as they drained three shots from downtown. The Lakers could not keep up with the Bears’ offense and found themselves trailing 45-41 entering the final quarter. The Bears continued their dominance and led 51-44 with just under 3 minutes remaining. Just when hope looked like it was fading, the Lakers began their comeback. The Lakers tacked on some free throws to cut the deficit to three points with 12 seconds remaining. With the game on the line, the ball was in DeOrdio’s hand and she delivered with a game-tying 3-pointer to send it to overtime.

The Bears took an early lead in overtime, but free throws from White-Principio and a layup from Holmes put the Lakers ahead 59-58. The Lakers closed out the game at the free throw line as DeOrdio drilled four clutch free throws to add to her 21-point night. The Lakers sealed the deal and went back home with a 63-58 win.

The Lakers are now 12-8 on the season and will look to continue their two-game win streak as they go on the road to take on SUNY Geneseo on Feb. 9.

Photo by: Aubrey Fischer