Onondaga’s Jesse Gates named Mid-State Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week

Liverpool grad is first Lazer since 2008-2009 to receive recognition.

SYRACUSE, NY. – January 24, 2011 – Onondaga Community College men’s basketball player Jesse Gates (Liverpool) has been named the Mid-State Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending January 23. Gates, a 6’5” forward, is the first Lazer to be recognized for the award since Matt Potter (New Berlin Unadilla Valley / Wentworth Institute of Technology) shared the award with Kadeem Nicholas of Jefferson Community College in January of 2009, and the first Onondaga player to win the award outright since Shane Williams (Camillus West Genesee / Lindenwood University) was honored in January of 2008.

Gates led the Lazers to a pair of conference wins last week. Last Wednesday at Jefferson, he matched his career high of 33 points on 11 of 20 shooting, including 4 of 8 from the three-point line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out 4 assists as the Lazers knocked the Cannoneers out of first place in the MSAC with an 82-71 win. Gates followed up that effort with an 11 point, 5 rebound, 3 assist effort in a 92-76 win over Tompkins Cortland Community College. Gates, a Class AA All-State and two-time All-Central New York Player in high school, is leading the Lazers in scoring for the season. He is averaging 18.8 points per game, placing him 19th in scoring nationally, according to the latest National Junior College Athletic Association statistics. He is also averaging 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest.

Gates and the rest of the Lazers return to action on Wednesday evening at 8:00 pm, as they travel to Finger Lakes Community College. Finger Lakes is currently ranked #7 in the nation in the latest NJCAA Division III poll, and sits on top of the MSAC with a conference record of 5-1 and an overall mark of 16-2. Onondaga is currently one game back in the conference with a record of 4-2, and sports an overall mark of 15-6. The contest will mark the 5th time that Onondaga has faced a team in the national top ten this season.