The third-seeded Oswego State men's basketball team knocked off No. 2 Geneseo 72-61 in a SUNYAC Championship semifinal game at Plattsburgh on Friday evening. With the victory, the Lakers improve to 18-9 on the year and will play the winner of Friday night's Plattsburgh and Brockport matchup at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the SUNYAC Championship title game. The survivor of Saturday's finale will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
After fighting back-and-forth for the opening half, Geneseo was able to pull out in front by five points at the half, 39-34. Oswego clawed its way back into the game, taking the lead 50-49 with 11:57 remaining on a Brian Sortino layup.
The two squads would wind up tied at 51-51 with 10:06 to play and went on a two-minute drought with neither team scoring. With 8:07 on the clock, a Sortino layup spurred the difference-maker in the contest, a 14-2 run over the next 5:01, capped by a Kyle Covley 3-pointer. Over the final 3:06, the Lakers were able to maintain a double-digit advantage, going 7-for-11 from the charity stripe down the stretch.
Sortino and Covley led the Lakers on the offensive end, with Sortino going 8-for-16 (50.0%) from the field for a team-high 24 points. Covley was close behind, tallying 18 points on 6-for-9 (67.7%) from the field. The two also combined to go 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, as the Lakers shot 47.4% (9-for-19) from distance. Also chipping in on offense was Walter Sampson, Rashawn Powell and Alex Rawa, each scoring nine points.
For the second game in a row, Oswego was clutch from the free-throw line, shooting 15-for-20 (75.0%) on freebies.
