ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FALLS AT BROOME CC TO CONCLUDE ROAD SWING

Lazers play four road games in eight days against Mid-State contenders.

SYRACUSE, NY. -- January 29, 2006 -- The Onondaga Community College men’s basketball team dropped an 87-72 decision at Broome Community College yesterday. The game was Onondaga’s fourth conference road game in the past eight days. One week ago the Lazers fell at Cayuga Community College, 97-81. Earlier this week, they were defeated at Finger Lakes Community College on Monday, 123-96, and at Corning Community College on Wednesday, 85-82. Onondaga’s overall record now stands at 10-9, and they are 2-5 in Mid-State Athletic Conference play.

Against Broome, the Lazers fell behind at the outset, 31-8, and never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way. Adrian Hanks (Liverpool) and Kenny Gethers (Syracuse Bishop Grimes) were the only Onondaga players to hit double figures, scoring 29 and 25 points respectively. Reggie Flynn (Jamesville-DeWitt) collected 5 rebounds and 4 steals, and Gethers and Pat Mannion (Marcellus) each handed out 5 assists. Rebounding was the difference in the contest, as the Hornets held a 43-24 advantage.

The Corning game was tight throughout, and featured 10 lead changes and 6 ties. With the score tied at 76 and 2:00 remaining Corning scored the next 7 points, then held on as a Gethers three-point attempt to tie bounced out at the buzzer. Rebounding was again the difference, as Corning owned a 53-34 advantage. Gethers recorded 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Jeff Riker (Dryden) and Flynn scored 12 and 11 points respectively.

At Finger Lakes, Onondaga led, 62-60, with 16:00 remaining before a 23-2 Lakers run decided the contest. The Lazers were outrebounded, 48-34, in the contest. Cody Endress (Homer) led Onondaga with a career high 26 points, including 6 three-point goals. Eric Latendress (Oriskany) added 14 points, while Riker and Gethers tallied 12 points each. Gethers collected 6 rebounds and Flynn and Mannion handed out 5 assists each.

The first contest of the road stretch, at Cayuga, saw Gethers and Hanks score 28 and 27 points. Gethers collected 16 of the Lazers’ 31 rebounds, but the Spartans owned a 46-31 rebounding advantage. Mannion had 5 assists and 5 steals.

The Lazers will now close the regular season with 7 of their last 9 games at home, beginning with an 8:00 pm tip-off against Jefferson Community College this Wednesday.