BUFFALO, NY—Oswego (8-1/5-0) stifled No. 14-ranked Buffalo State (6-1/3-1) all afternoon, limiting the Bengals to their lowest offensive output of the season and handing them their first loss, 85-71, in a SUNYAC game today at the Sport Arena.
Hayden Ward (Montauk/East Hampton) paced Oswego with 21 points. Chad Burridge (Hannibal/Hannibal) added 19 points to go with six rebounds and five blocks. Chris Gilkes (Syracuse/Fowler) scored 18 points, Conor Monaghan (Brooklyn/Xavier) netted 11, and Sean Michele (E. Rochester/E. Rochester) had nine points, seven assists and four steals.
Justin Mitchell (Buffalo/Bishop Timon) had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead Buffalo State. Nico McLean (Amherst/Amherst) and freshman Anyar Majak (Rochester/Thomas Jefferson) also scored 12 points apiece.
Oswego never trailed and raced out to a 48-30 halftime lead, and never let the Bengals closer than 14 in the second half. Buffalo State could not overcome 25 turnovers, including 16 in the first half, leading directly to 34 Laker points. Oswego shot 50-percent from the field, compared to 41-percent shooting by the Bengals, and outscored Buffalo State 31-14 from the free-throw line.
Buffalo State will look to bounce back when it hosts the 27th version of the Coles Classic next Friday and Saturday. The Bengals will open the tourney on Friday against Keuka at 8 p.m.