POTSDAM, N.Y. - The Oswego State men's basketball team extended a five-point halftime lead to 20 by the final buzzer for a 76-56 win at Potsdam on Saturday. The Lakers (15-3, 11-0, SUNYAC) hit 10 of 18 three-pointers and shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, while holding the Bears (4-14, 2-9) to just 39 percent shooting to earn the win.
The Lakers led by as many as 13 points, 31-18, in the first half when Hayden Ward (Jr., Montauk, N.Y.) hit a three-pointer with just under six minutes remaining in the first half. The forward went on to lead the Lakers with 23 points in the contest, including a trio of three-pointers.
Potsdam went on a 7-0 run to end the half, though, closing the Laker advantage to 36-31. The Bears continued to chip away, narrowing the lead to 37-35 early in the second.
However, the Lakers responded in a big way, starting with one of Sean Michele's (Sr., East Rochester, N.Y.) five three-pointers. His fourth triple sparked a 11-0 run that blew the game wide open. Four different Lakers scored during the stretch.
The balanced scoring continued as the Lakers pulled away for the 20-point win, once again highlighted by strong free-throw shooting late in the game. Oswego hit 20-of-26 from the line during the game, while the Bears went just 10-of-15.
Chad Burridge (Sr., Hannibal, N.Y.) finished with a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds), and added four blocked shots. Michele also had 15 points, while Conor Monaghan (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in 10 points and four assists. Chris Gilkes (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) also had four assists. Ward also registered eight rebounds.
The second win of the season over Potsdam keeps the Lakers in first place by three games in the loss column. Oswego will put its perfect league record to the test again on Tuesday night when it hosts Brockport at 8 p.m. at Laker Hall.