POTSDAM, N.Y.- Oswego State (16-6, 9-6 SUNYAC) holds off the SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (1-20, 1-13 SUNYAC) Friday night 80-69 at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium. The Bears were led by sophomore forward Josh Blagrove (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Ford) with 18 points. The Lakers were led by senior guard Kyle Covley (Fairport, N.Y./Penfield) with 23 points and junior forward Keith Tyson (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger) recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Oswego State hit five 3-pointers to open the first half to play, but Potsdam stayed right with them. At 10:37, freshman guard Nosa Onabor (Brooklyn, N.Y./Northside Charter) drained a three to tie the score at 19 apiece. The Lakers responded with a layup and a jumper then senior guard Joe Estramonte (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich Central) made a layup to get the Laker lead back to two with 8:20 to go. Onabor hit from behind the arch again at 7:17 to tie the game followed by a layup from Lakers' junior guard Brian Sortino (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) to regain the lead. It was short lived when Blagrove knocked down his second 3-pointer of the night that gave the Bears their first lead. The teams battled back and forth for the remaining six minutes of play before two free throws from Blagrove put Potsdam up by one with 53 seconds left in the first. The Bears took the 38-37 lead into halftime.

Oswego grabbed the lead back quickly after a three from senior forward Alex Rawa (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley) eight seconds into the second to ignite a 14-4 run for the Lakers. At 15:02, senior guard Mitch Lamerson answered with back-to-back threes, but this was as close as Potsdam would get. Oswego slowly pulled away in the closing minutes to take the 80-69 win.

The Bears shot 44-percent from the floor while the Lakers shot 42-percent. Oswego edged the Bears 40-35 on the boards.

Onabor was just shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds and Estramonte tacked on another 12 points. Lamerson and freshman forward Tyrone Adeyeye (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker) each finished with eight points.

Rawa finished the night with 16 points and six rebounds, while Sortino tallied 15 points. Tyson and junior forward Dustin Pond (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

The Bears will honor the seniors, Joe Estramonte and Mitch Lamerson, before their 4 p.m. contest against SUNY Cortland tomorrow at Jerry Welsh Gymansium.