The Oswego State women’s basketball team held off a late charge from visiting Morrisville State to record its first win of the season with a 65-54 victory to open the Max Ziel Women’s Basketball Tournament on Friday. The difference in the game came from the Lakers’ supporting cast as their bench outscored the Mustangs 15-0. Oswego State improved 1-1 overall, while Morrisville fell to 0-2 overall.

After a sloppy start, Oswego State closed out the first half with a 9-0 run as four different players scored to build a 14-point 33-19 lead.  The Lakers overcame a poor shooting first half by pulling down ten offensive rebounds that resulted in ten points. 

The Oswego State women's basketball trailed by three points with five minutes remaining, but was unable to upset nationally-ranked NYU in a 71-65 loss to open the season on Sunday afternoon in Manhattan. Sophomore Kayla Ryan (Schaghticoke, N.Y.) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, as three other Lakers also posted double-digit points. The Violets' Grace Carmen led all scorers with 16 points to go along with eight boards.

Tricia Sullivan (Sr., Copenhagen, N.Y.) scored a fastbreak lay-up after an outlet pass from Traci Bacon (Jr., Massena, N.Y.) with 10:53 remaining in the first half to give Oswego State an 18-12 advantage over NYU.  However, the Violets began to chip into the lead before a pair of Emily Foshag free throws gave NYU its first lead of the game at 22-21 with 5:55 on the clock.  Both squads traded baskets for the rest of the period before the Violets built a 34-28 halftime lead.

The 2009-10 Oswego State women’s basketball team has its eyes set on returning to the SUNY Athletic Conference playoffs and hosting a first-round contest after finishing 11-15 overall and 9-7 in the league to earn the fifth seed in the league championships in 2008-09. Captains Rachel Kohrs and Traci Bacon, as well as the reigning ECAC Upstate and SUNYAC Rookie of the Year Kayla Ryan, will utilize the experience gained last season to help the Lakers become more consistent on both ends of the floor every night to reach these goals. However, if the team is to accomplish this it needs to continue making strides on defense and in the area of rebounding to move among the conference’s elite.

Head Coach Tracy Bruno has done a great job of increasing the depth of her bench through the recruitment of a talented group of junior college transfers and freshmen.  This added depth will create a more balanced offensive squad that will have the ability to score in the paint and around the perimeter.  Coach Bruno feels this year’s squad is one of the most athletic teams she has had, which bodes well for the fast-paced style Bruno enjoys playing.

Oswego State freshman forward Kayla Ryan (Schaghticoke/Hoosic Valley) has been named the 2008-09 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Upstate Rookie of the Year, as selected by the conference coaches. This is Ryan’s second postseason award, after being honored by the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) as its Rookie of the Year.

Freshman forward Kayla Ryan (Schaghticoke/Hoosic Valley) of the Oswego State women’s basketball team earned second-team accolades on the 2008-09 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) All-Conference Team and was also named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year, announced by the conference office on Monday, March 2.