OSWEGO, N.Y. – Despite three players notching double figures, led by senior guard Reem Welch (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Thomas Jefferson), the Plattsburgh State men's basketball team fell 74-66 to Oswego State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) road play. Welch finished with 26 points to lead all scorers and added five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the overall effort.

Sophomore Jaiden Gladney (Charlestown, W. Va. / Jefferson) was the Cardinals' second leading scorer with 20 points while also grabbing three rebounds and collecting two steals. Khalil Screen (Providence, R.I. / Classical) chipped in 11 points and six rebounds, while Mari Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y. / Johnson City) had a team-high seven rebounds to go with seven points and three assists.

For the Lakers, Steven Bradley led the team with 23 points and pulled down four rebounds. Deacon Judd was next in scoring with 14 points and added a game-high 10 rebounds.

Overall, for the game, Plattsburgh State was solid from the floor, shooting 36.7% and shot 24.1% from behind the arc. Oswego State shot better from the field, shooting a strong 41.8% but were only 21.1% from the three-point line. Oswego had the slight edge in rebounds (41-40), but the Cardinals doubled the Lakers in second-chance points (16-8). On the other hand, Oswego doubled the Cardinals in points off turnovers (18-9).

Oswego's offense got rolling first in the opening half, followed by an 11-0 tear from Plattsburgh, led by Welch with four points, to make the score 12-5 with 12:17 to go. The Lakers came into their own, scoring six straight points, cutting Plattsburgh's lead to 12-11. Oswego later took a momentary 15-14 lead before Johnson tied the score at 18, and a Welch jumper put the Cardinals ahead 20-18 at the 4:34 mark. Locked at 20, Plattsburgh scored back-to-back baskets and took a 24-20 lead, but the Lakers' offense had a late surge and went into halftime with a 30-28 lead.

After Johnson netted the Cardinals' first points of the second half, making the score 33-30, Oswego stretched its lead to 41-33 at the 16:06 mark thanks to back-to-back layups. A Gladney three-pointer, followed by a Screen layup, tied the score at 46, but a 10-0 run from the Lakers gave Oswego a 56-46 lead with 9:45 remaining. Plattsburgh trimmed the deficit to four with 4:33 remaining, but Oswego pulled away, and the Cardinals fell 74-66.

With the loss, Plattsburgh State falls to 6-4 (3-1 SUNYAC) and returns to Memorial Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 13, to face Potsdam at 7:30 p.m.