ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca (2-2) men's basketball team dropped a 95-83 non-conference decision to visiting Oswego (2-1) on Sunday afternoon in Ben Light Gymnasium. Four Bombers scored in double figures and senior center Phil Barera (Belmont/Belmont, Mass.) added 10 boards for his 17th career double-double.

Ithaca held an early lead over the Lakers but Oswego made a comeback midway through the first period that helped it to an 11-point lead at the half. The Bombers cut its deficit to three just 3:55 into the second stint, but Oswego held strong and never surrendered its lead. The Lakers went on to lead by as many as 15 at the 6:17 mark. Seven straight points over a 40-second span brought the Bombers within striking distance, but Oswego sealed the non-conference contest on a 10-1 run.

Junior guard Jordan Marcus (Solomon Schechter/West Orange, N.J.) tallied a team-high 21 points in just 26 minutes on the floor, while Barera chipped in 18, sophomore forward Andrei Oztemel (Staples/Westport, Conn.) added 16 and senior guard Chris Cruz-Rivas (West Genesee/Syracuse), who was 3-for-4 from three-point range, had 15. At point, sophomore Sean Rossi (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) dished out a game-high 10 assists for Ithaca.

The Bombers opened play with a commanding 11-2 lead and extended the cushion to double-digits on Oztemel's second straight three-pointer, but the Lakers surged to take a 19-17 lead on a 15-3 run. Freshman guard Miles Grier (Druid Hills/Lilburn, Ga.) knotted the game for its second time at the 10-minute mark and the third with 8:14 remaining in the first frame. Grier sunk a pair from the charity stripe to regain the advantage, but the Lakers were quick to steal it back.

The Bombers again brought the score to a deadlock before taking a one-point, 23-22, lead on a free throw by Cruz-Rivas, but the Lakers answered with one from beyond the arc that ultimately secured the lead for good. Oswego closed the half on a 20-8 run highlighted by 10 consecutive points to take a 46-35 lead into the locker room.

Ithaca, who had 11 three-pointers during the game, looked to reclaim the lead early in the second half as it used a 14-6 streak to bring the game within three, 52-49, but the Lakers responded with a 10-2 run to reinstate a double-digit lead. A layup at 6:17 allowed Oswego its largest lead of the contest, 76-61.

Marcus hit a three-pointer and notched a layup that the Bombers coupled with a Barera bucket to bring the game within three with 1:15 of action lingering, but late fouls allowed the Lakers 10 points from the charity stripe to put the game away, 95-83.

The Bombers will kick-off a three-game road stretch at Cortland on Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.

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