ONEONTA, N.Y. - Oswego took an 18-point halftime lead and held on for an eventual 83-62 win over the Oneonta men's basketball team on Tuesday evening. The Lakers snap the Red Dragons' three-game win streak and move to 11-2 overall and 5-1 in the SUNYAC. Oneonta falls to 6-6 and 4-1 in the conference.

"Give them credit. They came out and took it to us," said head coach Cameron Conover. "They played really hard, and we didn't match their intensity. We will learn from this and get better."

After sophomore Sam Booth (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) converted free throws at 15:24, Oswego's Arthur Foster knocked down a three to start a 7-0 run to take a double-digit lead. Junior Nicholas Cortez (Harlem, NY/Forest Hills) drained a triple to cut the lead to 16-9, but Deacon Judd recorded three straight baskets to bring the lead to 13 points. Foster stole the ball and scored on a fastbreak to make it 24-9 at 10:30.

The Oswego lead continued to grow with Chris Whyte-Luciano hitting a three-pointer at 8:30, and Jayson McGhee scoring inside at 7:12 to make it 31-13. A layup and triple by sophomore Pat Evens cut the lead to 15 until Gary McClane hit a three at 1:26 to push the lead to 20 points. Cortez scored in the final minute to make it 43-25 at the break.

Oneonta performed better in the second half, but the deficit proved difficult to overcome. The Lakers led by as much as 23 after McGhee scored four consecutive points. Freshman Connor Mannix (Wantagh, NY/St. Anthony's) scored inside to spur a 6-0 run capped off with a three-pointer by Cortez. Senior Shea Barber (Wells Bridge, NY/Unatego) knocked down a trey at 6:05 to cut the score to 70-54, but Oswego built back to a 23-point lead after a Nick Estell three at 1:51. Freshman Kaden scored the final points as Oswego secured the victory.

Cortez led Oneonta with 14 points while going 3-for-4 from three-point range. He added five rebounds and a steal. Booth scored nine with three boards, while LaClair had a team-high seven rebounds and four assists. Gonzalez scored a career-high six points.

Deacon Judd recorded a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Foster netted 16 points, three assists, and two steals, while McGhee had 12 points off the bench.

Oneonta looks to bounce back when they travel to face Buffalo State on Friday, January 16, at 6 p.m.