Spartans Win MSAC Tournament, Off to Regionals as #6 Seed
Cayuga extended its MSAC winning streak to nine games with a convincing 91-70 victory at Spartan Hall in the Mid-State Athletic Conference semi-final. Cayuga earned the right to host the tournament by winning the regular season title and earning the #1 seed. The Spartans scored 43 bench points…including a game-high 21 points from freshman guard Scotty Bynum. Dashawn Williamson added 17 points off the bench for the Spartans. Shaquille Holley and Donald Lawes chipped in with 10 points apiece. Point guard Dakeem Herndon had five steals and helped control the tempo for Cayuga. Justin Staton was also solid off the bench for the Spartans with 9 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spartans used a 16-0 first half run and took a 10-point halftime lead into the locker room. The Panthers, who were able to cut the Spartan lead to single digits in the early part of the second half…saw their chances slip away as the Spartans pushed their lead to 20+ points during the final 10 minutes of the contest. Jailaan Kinsey and Kevin Tucker scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, for TC3.
On Sunday, Cayuga went onto win the MSAC Tournament Championship over Onondaga 93-68. The Spartans extended their winning streak to ten games. The Spartans were led by Scotty Bynum who had a game high 20 points. Bynum was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Dashawn Williamson and Travis Bailey each added 17 points for the Spartans. Six players for the Spartans scored in double figures.
The Spartans lead 51-35 at the half, and came out of the locker room after halftime and went on a 15-4 run. The Lazer's never threatened after the four straight Shaquille Holley baskets which helped to build a 72-49 lead. The Spartans will now go to Jefferson C.C. as the region's #6 seed…and will face #3 seed Mohawk Valley in the NJCAA Region III Tournament.
MSAC Awards:
Tournament Most Valuable Player- Scotty Bynum
Coach-of-the-Year- Tony Borges
1st Team All-MSAC- Donald Lawes, Dashawn Williamson
Honorable Mention- Dakeem Herndon