FREDONIA, N.Y. -- The Fredonia men's basketball team pushed the 25th-ranked Oswego Lakers to the brink in Steele Hall on Friday, but could not hold onto a five-point lead in overtime before falling, 67-62.

Fredonia jumped out to an early lead when Kareem Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Brooklyn H.S. for Law & Tech) started the game with a three-pointer. Fredonia would work its way up to a seven-point lead, 12-5, after Ian Helps (Bronx, N.Y. / Greater New York Academy) nailed a pair of free throws. The Devils would hold the lead until a three pointer by Oswego's Brian Sortino tied the game at 20-all. Oswego took a 32-29 lead into intermission.

Three and a half minutes into the second half, Brown would nail a three pointer to regain the lead for Fredonia, 37-35. The Devils' biggest lead of the game would come with 9:38 left to play in the second. A layup by Richard De La Cruz (Washington Heights, N.Y. / Norman Thomas) would eventually give Fredonia a nine-point lead, 50-41.

Oswego rattled off the next seven points to tie the game at 50. Late in regulation, Oswego nursed a two-point lead. With 30 seconds remaining, De La Cruz sank a pair of free throws to tie the game at 57 and send it into overtime.

Brown started the OT with a three pointer, and Helps would follow with a layup two possessions later to put Fredonia up 62-57. The Lakers stormed back, scoring the game's final 10 point to earn the victory.

Helps led Fredonia (1-6) with 20 points, while De La Cruz and Brown had 13 apiece. Helps was the top rebounder along with Kasean Jackson (Ridgewood, N.Y. / Grover Cleveland), with nine apiece. Jackson and De La Cruz each had four assists.

Oswego (7-0) was led by Sortino with 33 points. Keith Tyson added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Oswego won the battle of the boards, 36-33, but Fredonia outshot Oswego 43 to 38 percent from the field. Fredonia was 11 of 19 from the line, while Oswego was 15 of 20.

Fredonia takes on Cortland Saturday at 4 p.m.