3/11/16 UPDATE: Laker men’s basketball lost a heartbreaker 66-65 to the College of Wooster on Friday night in front of a packed, passionate crowd in Max Ziel Gymnasium.
After two thrilling NCAA Division III Tournament wins to reach the program’s first-ever Sweet 16, Laker men’s basketball will host tournament action this weekend in Laker Hall.
Oswego hosts the College of Wooster at 7:30 p.m. Friday, with the winner playing in the national quarterfinals against the victor of the Christopher Newport-Keene State game at 5:30 p.m., with both games in Laker Hall’s Max Ziel Gymnasium on Friday. The regional finals—for a slot in the DIII Final Four—will tip at 7 p.m. Saturday in the same location.
Tickets are available online at https://tickets.oswego.edu or by calling the box office at (315) 312-3073. Tickets also will be available on the day of the games, as the Laker Hall box office will open one hour prior to tip-off on Friday (4:30 p.m.) and 90 minutes before Saturday’s tip (5:30 p.m.). Tickets cost $10 for general admission; $5 for senior citizens, all students and children. Children under age 2 are admitted free.
The Lakers (22-8) had to work overtime last Friday night in a back-and-forth 88-78 win against Delaware Valley in first-round action at Marietta College in Ohio. Junior guard Brian Sortino’s 39 points led the Lakers, with a three-point play with 18 seconds remaining giving the team a brief 68-66 lead before the Aggies tied it with two last-second free throws. But Oswego opened the overtime session on an 11-3 run and never looked back.
Saturday’s game saw the Lakers lead most of the way before a late Gwynedd Mercy surge gave the Griffins a 77-76 lead in the final minute. Sortino played hero again, hitting the game-winning jumper with 7 seconds remaining for the 78-77 win and Sweet 16 berth. Four Oswego players reached double figures in scoring, with Keith Tyson’s 19 points leading the way.