WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Oswego State men's basketball team broke the final tie of the game by outscoring Eastern Connecticut State University 14-2 over the final seven minutes to win the championship game of the Eastern Tip-Off Tournament with a 60-50 victory Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
 
Eastern (1-2) erased a 16-point deficit late in the first half to take a two-point lead with eight minutes left in the contest, but on its final 16 possessions of the game, was 1-for-11 from the floor and missed a free throw and committed four turnovers. Oswego (2-0) scored eight of its final 12 points from the foul line, including its last five, getting offensive contributions from four different players in that final stretch.
 
Both teams were coming off hard-fought first-round games Friday evening, the Warriors nipping Anna Maria College, 75-72, behind the play of seniors Jalen Williams (Simsbury) and Quinton Lott (Bridgeport), who combined for 38 points and 17 rebounds. In the first round, Oswego rallied from nine points down to pull away from Hobart College, 65-53.
 
In Saturday's third-place game, Hobart routed Anna Maria, 74-51.
 
As it would later do in closing out the game, the Lakers put together a 14-2 scoring run over four minutes in the first half to turn a four-point lead into a 16-point 32-16 advantage with just over three minutes left in the half. The Warriors, however, countered by closing out the half on an 11-0 scoring burst that cut the Oswego lead to five at the breal.
 
Ranked fifth nationally in the pre-season after returning four starters from last year's team which reached the third round of last year's NCAA Division III tournament, Oswego got 21 points from tournament MVP Ahkee Anderson in Saturday's final, with all-tournament pick Jeremiah Sparks adding 15 points and ten rebounds.
 
In the tournament, Anderson had 36 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor along with seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Sparks had 22 points in two games with 18 rebounds, and all-tournament teammate Cartier Bowman 19 points on 53 percent shooting and 18 rebounds. The trio was also 15-for-21 from the stripe in the tournament.  
Williams again led Eastern in scoring in the final with a game-high 23 points and he also grabbed six rebounds. After struggling offensively in his home debut Friday (although he did contribute eight rebounds), first-year player Dominick Dao (Terryville) had eight of his game total of ten points in leading the Warriors back from double-digits down in the first half. Dao also had a team-high nine rebounds, while Lott followed with eight boards. Senior guard Max Lee (Norwich) played all 40 minutes Saturday and handed out eight assists and came up with three steals.
 
Williams and Lott represented Eastern on the all-tournament team. Williams led all players in the tourney with 43 points which included five three-pointers and 8-for-8 marksmanship from the line. Lott had 22 points on 57 percent shooting from the floor with 18 rebounds.
 
Six-foot-seven inch senior forward Jackson Meshanic represented Hobart on the all-tournament team. He had a tournament-high 24 rebounds to go along with 32 points, and shot 54 percent from the floor and connected on four of five three-pointers.
 
Eastern hosts Springfield College Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference game.
  Jalen Williams, Sr., Eastern Conn., Simsbury, CT
Quinton Lott, Sr., Eastern Conn., Bridgeport, CT
Ahkee Anderson, So.,Oswego State, Greenport, NY – Most Outstanding Player
Jeremiah Sparks, Jr., Oswego State, Jordan, NY
Cartier Bowman, Jr., Oswego State, Trenton, NJ
Jackson Meshanic, Sr., Hobart College, Columbia, CT