OSWEGO, N.Y. – Five players reached double figures to help the 22nd-ranked Oswego State men’s basketball team (16-3, 12-0 SUNYAC) fend off Brockport in an 89-75 decision Tuesday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium. Hayden Ward (Jr., Montauk, N.Y.) led the Laker charge with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while the Golden Eagles (7-11, 5-6 SUNYAC) were paced by Donnell Jackson’s 19 points off the bench.
Sean Michele (Sr., East Rochester, N.Y.) followed Ward with 16 points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting and 7-of-8 free-throw shooting, while dishing out six assists. Conor Monaghan (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 13 points, while Chris Gilkes (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) and Ryan Sheridan (Sr., Blauvelt, N.Y.) contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively. Gilkes also added eight boards and four assists.
Gerald Williams and Kyheem Green recorded 16 and 11 points, respectively, while Green also hauled in eight rebounds.
Oswego State scored the first six points of the contest and maintained that lead throughout much of the first half. It was not until late in the frame that the Lakers established a double-digit lead due to a pair of Monaghan free throws and a layup and baseline jumper for Gilkes with 4:33 left. John Ivy brought Brockport to within six points in the final minute, but Ward hit a jump shot with six seconds on the clock to give Oswego State a 44-33 edge.
The Golden Eagles went to work inside early in the second half, particularly with the duo of Stephen Sisson and Green. The two players made the score 47-40, but a three-point play by Ward triggered an 11-0 run that featured three-pointers from Sheridan and Ward and a dunk by Chad Burridge (Sr., Hannibal, N.Y.) to put Oswego State ahead 58-40 with 14 minutes left.
Brockport did not go away, as it clawed to get back into the game with strong inside play. The Golden Eagles made it an eight-point game with 1:33 remaining in regulation following a Williams free throw, but the Lakers made 10 of their next 12 free throws from that point on to seal the victory.
Both offenses were efficient as Oswego State finished shooting 52.7 percent (29-for-55) from the floor and Brockport posted 47.2 percent (25-for-53). However, the difference in the game boiled down to the Lakers hitting three timely treys in the second half and three more free throws than the opposition.
Oswego State faces Cortland on the road on Saturday at 4 p.m.
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