OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team nearly overcame a nine-point deficit with 2:29 left in regulation, but the Cardinals were unable to sink the would-be game-tying basket before time expired in a 77-75 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) loss to Oswego State on Saturday afternoon at Max Ziel Gymnasium.
 
Oswego took a nine-point lead following a layup by senior center Mykelle Krecko with 2:29 remaining in the second half before Plattsburgh State countered with a 3-pointer by junior guard Eli Bryant (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides School) to trim the gap to six. Following a Cardinal timeout, Plattsburgh State came up with a defensive stop, and sophomore forward Isaiah Hill (Brooklyn, N.Y./HS for Dual Language and Asian Studies) drained a 3-pointer on the other end to make it a three-point game with 1:34 left.
 
The Lakers used almost the entirety of the shot clock on their next possession before Krecko got fouled and knocked down 1-of-2 shots at the line. Sophomore forward Jonathan Patron (Huntington, N.Y./Harborfields) drew a foul and went 1-of-2 at the line on the Cardinals' next possession before Bryant picked the pocket of junior guard Jamir Ferebee and scored on a fast-break layup to draw Plattsburgh State within one (76-75) with 16 seconds to go.
 
Following a Cardinal timeout, Oswego milked 11 seconds off the game clock before Plattsburgh State settled for fouling. Junior guard Ian Schupp missed the front end of the two-shot trip at the line before making the second, giving the Lakers a 77-75 cushion. Plattsburgh State was able to set up a layup on the other end right before the buzzer, but the shot misfired to give Oswego the two-point victory.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 10-11 overall (6-9 SUNYAC) with the loss, and despite the result, the Cardinals are still just one-and-a-half games back of the sixth and final spot in the SUNYAC Tournament. Plattsburgh State will look to continue its playoff push on Friday, Feb. 10, when it visits SUNY Potsdam for a 5:30 p.m. contest. Oswego rises to 17-4 overall (13-1 SUNYAC) with the win and next visits Fredonia on Friday, Feb. 10, at 5:30 p.m.
 
The two teams traded points in the early stages of the game before Oswego scored six unanswered points to take a 20-13 lead. After a Cardinal basket, the Lakers extended the differential to seven once again before Plattsburgh State went on a 10-0 surge, with a layup by sophomore guard/forward Chris Middleton (New York, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) capping the rally and giving the Cardinals a 25-22 advantage.
 
Though the game came down to the wire in the end, Krecko made a layup with 3:32 left in the first half that handed the Lakers a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the afternoon. Oswego and Plattsburgh State traded 3-pointers on five consecutive possessions down the stretch in the opening stanza, with Oswego's senior guard Brian Sortino handing the home team a 41-36 advantage with the final triple of that span. That wound up being the halftime score, as both teams missed shots in the final 29 seconds of the half.
 
Krecko fired the opening salvo in the second half with a layup 1:57 into the period, but the Cardinals retaliated with six straight points, and junior guard Zack Coleman (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) pulled Plattsburgh State within one at 43-42. Oswego kept Plattsburgh State at arm's length until the Cardinals surged back in the final few minutes of the game.

The Cardinals shot 41.5 percent (27-of-65) from the floor on the game, including a 47.6 percent (10-of-21) clip from 3-point distance. Oswego, meanwhile, shot 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from the floor and held a 43-37 advantage in rebounds. Both teams took care of the ball, as they combined for just 15 turnovers on the afternoon.
 
Patron keyed the Cardinal attack with 17 points and fell just short of the double-double with nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Brandon Johnson (Greenburgh, N.Y./Woodlands) and Hill added 14 points apiece off the bench, while Bryant drained 12 points and added seven assists.
 
For Oswego, Krecko was the major difference in the contest, posting a double-double with 11 points and 18 rebounds while adding six blocks and two assists. Sortino scored a game-high 23 points, while Schupp and Ferebee provided 18 and 12 points, respectively, in reserve duty. Senior forward Keith Tyson also reached double figures with 11 points.