FREDONIA, N.Y. – The Fredonia State men's basketball team makes its first Steele Hall appearance of the 2011-12 season Friday when it meets Oswego in the second game of a SUNYAC doubleheader.

It took nearly one month of the season – eight games total – for the Blue Devil men return home. They have managed a 6-2 record on the road (including one neutral site game). Game time is 8 p.m.

“I told my players,” said head coach Kevin Moore, a veteran of 22 seasons as a college coach, “that this was the hardest eight-game stretch I've ever coached because all eight games have been on the road. To be 6-2 after this very difficult stretch of consecutive road games is a credit to their preparation, commitment, and very determined mental toughness.”

That toughness was put to the test Tuesday at NCAA Division I Youngstown State. The host Penguins took a fast and easy lead and rolled to a 69-35 win. Out of the loss came two positives.

“We outrebounded a Division I basketball team (34 to 31) and we got to the foul line just as many times as they did against us,” Moore said. “If we can do those two things against the remainder of our conference schedule, then we have a chance to be successful.”

Friday's foe, Oswego, comes to town on a six-game winning streak. The Lakers boast the reigning SUNYAC Player of the Year, Chad Burridge, who is coming off a career game Tuesday at Brockport – 40 points, 16 rebounds, and seven blocked shots.

On Saturday (4 p.m. start), the Blue Devils will go up against Cortland. Like Oswego, Cortland is 6-1 overall and 3-0 overall at the start of weekend play. The Red Dragons visit No. 14 Buffalo State on Friday.

“(Oswego and Cortland are) two of the top three teams in the SUNYAC and we're certainly going to have our work cut out for us,” Moore said. “Chad Burridge from Oswego is by far the best player in our conference, a pre-season All –American. He presents a huge challenge on Friday night.

“(And) Cortland is playing probably the best defense in the conference right now and we're going to have to execute our offense very well to have a chance with them on Saturday.”

The Blue Devil women, who've already had two home games, and the Oswego women meet at 6 p.m. in the first game of Friday's doubleheader. While the Blue Devils are 4-4 overall, they are 0-2 in the conference. They will put a two-game home winning streak on the line.

Oswego, on the other hand, has won six straight games. The Lakers are 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the SUNYAC. Saturday's foe, Cortland, starts the weekend at 5-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Tip-off Saturday is 2 p.m.

In men's hockey, the Blue Devils have a pair of non-conference home games vs. Johnson and Wales of Providence, R.I. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday inside the Steele Hall Ice Arena.

Saturday marks the final day of athletic competition in 2011 by Fredonia State teams.

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