Onondaga Community College defeats Finger Lakes CC in Mid-State Athletic Conference contest

Stone posts career high, double double to lead Lazers

SYRACUSE, NY. - January 28, 2010 - The Onondaga Community College men's basketball team defeated Finger Lakes Community College, 67-60, last night in a Mid-State Athletic Conference contest at Onondaga. Finger Lakes entered the contest in 2nd place in the conference standings and had won the last four meetings between the two schools by a combined total of 14 points. The win also avenged an 88-83 defeat at Finger Lakes on January 7, and broke a 4-game Mid-State losing skid for Onondaga, moving the Lazers into a 5th place tie in conference standings.

Onondaga opened last night's contest on a 7-0 run and never trailed. Heath Stone (Chittenango) scored 12 of his team high and career best 18 points in the first half in helping the Lazers move out to a 31-21 lead at the break. Onondaga extended its lead to 17 early in the second half, before Finger Lakes mounted a big comeback that saw them close to within 2 points, 57-55, with 4:16 to go. The Lazers held Finger Lakes without a field goal the remainder of the contest, however, closing the game on a 10-5 run to pull out the victory. Dave Foltz (Auburn) added 14 points and 5 assists for Onondaga, and Andrew Lucio (Solvay) also recorded 5 assists. Stone led the Lazers with 12 rebounds. Onondaga held a 48-41 rebounding advantage for the game and held Finger Lakes to 22 of 65 (33.8%) shooting while connecting on 26 off 63 (41.3%) attempts themselves.

Onondaga came into last night's game off of a narrow 83-79 defeat at Tompkins Cortland Community College last Saturday. Onondaga led the Panthers, undefeated in Mid-State play and ranked #4 in the nation in the most recent National Junior College Athletic Association poll, by 16 points midway through the first half. Tompkins Cortland rallied to within 2 at the half, then the two teams battled on near even terms most of the second stanza. With Tompkins Cortland holding a 2-point lead and 15 seconds remaining, Onondaga's Brad Romancik (LaFayette) had a three-point attempt for the lead go in and out and Tompkins Cortland escaped with the win. Lucio scored a career high 25 points and handed out 6 assists to lead Onondaga. Romancik added 20 and Stone chipped in with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Onondaga will go back on the road on Saturday, traveling to neighboring Cayuga Community College in Auburn for a 3:00 pm tip-off. The Lazers return home next Thursday night, as they host Herkimer County Community College, ranked #2 in the nation, at 8:00 pm.