OSWEGO, N.Y. - The Oneonta men's basketball team held Oswego scoreless in the final four minutes of overtime to secure an 81-77 win over Oswego on Tuesday evening. The win snaps an 11-game losing streak against the Lakers (12-3, 6-2), as the Red Dragons (9-6, 7-1 SUNYAC) move into first place in the conference.
"Our guys played with great grit tonight. We beat an excellent team, and I am extremely proud of their effort," said head coach Cameron Conover. "It was a tough physical game, and our guys kept making plays and responding throughout the game with great effort."
Oneonta had four players in double digits, with sophomore Cam LaClair (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem) recording his third double-double of the season behind 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Sophomore Sam Booth (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) added 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in just 18 minutes of playing time, while sophomore Nate Cohen (Somers, NY/Somers) had 17 points, seven boards, three steals, and two assists off the bench. Senior Delano Knox (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) chipped in ten points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Throughout the game, there were a total of nine ties and 12 lead changes, with no side taking a double-digit lead. Oswego took a 20-12 lead in the first following a 4-0 run capped off by a dunk from Arthur Foster at 12:20. The Red Dragons responded with a 10-o span with freshman Carlos Almanzar (Brooklyn, NY/John Jay Campus) scoring four points. The Lakers retook the lead following threes from Chris Luciano-Whyte and Foster, going ahead 26-22.
Oswego held a slight lead until sophomore Pat Evans (Staten Island, NY/Xaverian) knocked down a jumper at 4:58. Booth followed up by scoring the next seven points to bring Oneonta up 33-30.
Oswego retook the lead at 37-33 following a dunk from Foster at 2:26, but back-to-back Booth layups tied 39-39. Jayson McGhee drained athree-pointer, but Oneonta closed the half with a pair of free throws from Cohen to make it 42-41 at the break.
Junior Hobson Herlihy (Lawrence, KS/Lawrence) hit a three to open the second to take a 44-42 lead, but the teams traded leads afterward. Two straight triples by Steven Bradley pushed Oswego up by five points, but Oneonta retook the lead after a 7-0 run comprised of six points from Knox.
After Oswego took a 66-65 lead, LaClair hit a jumper at 3:42, and Evans scored inside off an assist from Cohen to lead by five. Deacon Judd sank a three at 1:51, and the Lakers tied once again after Foster hit his free throws. LaClair scored inside on a bounce pass by Evans to take a 72-70 lead in the final minute, but Foster scored with 29 seconds remaining to force overtime.
The Lakers took a quick 77-72 lead to open the extra time with Bradley hitting a three-pointer at 4:02. That proved to be the final points the Oneonta defense allowed, with the Red Dragons closing out on a 9-0 run. A steal and layup from junior Nicholas Cortez (Harlem, NY/Forest Hills) cut the lead to three, and LaClair scored from a Knox pass to make it 77-76. Cortez scored again with 51 seconds to take the lead, and free throws from Herlihy and Evans sealed the Red Dragons' victory.
Oneonta shot 44.6 percent from the field, opposed to 41.2 percent for Oswego. The Lakers outrebounded the Red Dragons 45-39, while the Oneonta bench outscored Oswego 27-16.
Foster led Oswego with 21 points and seven boards, while Steven had 19 points with four three-pointers. Judd tallied a double-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks.
Oneonta returns home to face Plattsburgh on Friday, January 23, at 7:30 p.m.
