In a battle for the early season top spot in the SUNYAC, it was host Oswego State that took a 96-92 victory in double overtime against visiting SUNY Oneonta.  The Lakers (7-4, 3-0 SUNYAC) overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to force the extra session where they prevailed in the second overtime.
 
Senior Zach Mager (New City/Clarkstown South) led four Oneonta (5-5, 2-1 SUNYAC) in double figures with 23 points.  He also added seven rebounds and a pair of assists.
 
With the score tied at 78 apiece entering the second overtime, Brian Sortino made a jumper to give the Lakers a brief lead that would last until Mager buried a three-pointer on the next possession for Oneonta.  Sortino led all scorers in the game with 26 points.
 
The Lakers had an 88-83 lead before junior Jack Dignan (Brewster/Brewster) laid one in to cut the deficit back to three points with 59 seconds remaining.  Dignan had 11 of his 14 points during the overtime periods.
 
Oneonta couldn't get as close as three points the rest of the way including a three-pointer by Mikey McElroy (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs) with five seconds remaining that made the score 95-92.
 
Oneonta held the lead throughout most of the first half, leading by as many as six points on two different occasions.  Oswego came back both times and held brief leads.  The score was tied six times during the final 10 minutes of the first half before a three-point field goal by McElroy gave Oneonta a 39-36 lead at halftime.  McElroy scored five points in the first half and finished the game with 14 points.
 
A lay-up by freshman Eulogio Medina (Washington Heights/Wheels Academy) at the 7:47 mark gave Oneonta its largest lead at 63-49.  The Lakers closed the game with a 19-5 run including a three-pointer by Sortino with three seconds left to tie the score at 68-68.  Mager had one final attempt at the end of regulation that was blocked.
 
Oneonta outrebounded Oswego, 52-36, but was outscored by the Lakers' bench, 46-22.  The Red Dragons hit 13-of-26 from long range and 45 percent for the game.  Oswego shot 47 percent from the floor.  The Lakers also turned a season high 23 turnovers by Oneonta into 23 points.
 
Oneonta will return home this Friday night when they host SUNY Geneseo beginning at 5:30pm.
 
Newspaper Box Score
At Oswego, N.Y. -- Max Ziel Gymnasium
 
SUNY ONEONTA (5-5, 2-1 SUNYAC)
MAGER, Zach 7-15 5-6 23; WILLIAMS, Kareem 7-9 2-2 16; DIGNAN, Jack 4-6 4-6 14; MCELROY, Mikey 5-14 1-2 14; COLEMAN, Lawrence 3-9 1-2 9; KELLY, Frankie 3-9 2-5 8; MEDINA, Eulogio 2-5 0-0 5; THOMSEN, Seth 1-4 0-0 3; DEVINE, Dan 0-0 0-0 0; ZUVIC, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-71 15-23 92.
 
OSWEGO STATE (7-3, 3-0 SUNYAC)
Brian Sortino 11-22 2-3 26; Mark Candelario 9-14 1-3 19; Kyle Covley 5-11 0-0 12; Alex Rawa 4-8 1-2 11; Walter Sampson 2-4 2-4 6; Elijah McLaurin 0-1 6-8 6; Keith Tyson 2-6 0-0 5; Rashawn Powell 1-3 2-2 4; Ian Schupp 1-4 1-2
3; Matt Crockett 1-2 0-0 2; Dustin Pond 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 37-78 15-24 96.
 
3-point goals--SUNY Oneonta 13-26 (MAGER, Zach 4-10; MCELROY, Mikey 3-5; COLEMAN, Lawrence 2-3; DIGNAN, Jack 2-4; THOMSEN, Seth 1-2; MEDINA, Eulogio 1-1; KELLY, Frankie 0-1), Oswego State 7-24 (Kyle Covley 2-6; Alex Rawa 2-5; Brian Sortino 2-5; Keith Tyson 1-2; Ian Schupp 0-1; Matt Crockett 0-1; Dustin Pond 0-2; Elijah McLaurin 0-1; Walter Sampson 0-1).
Fouled out—SUNY Oneonta-DIGNAN, Jack; WILLIAMS, Kareem, Oswego State-None.
Rebounds—SUNY Oneonta 52 (MCELROY, Mikey 8), Oswego State 36 (Mark Candelario 11).
Assists--SUNY Oneonta 20 (KELLY, Frankie 6), Oswego State 10 (Brian Sortino 4).
Total fouls--SUNY Oneonta 21, Oswego State 22.
Technical fouls—SUNY Oneonta-None, Oswego State-None.
A-82