Close Home Loss for Spartans

A tough second half cost Cayuga Community College Men's Basketball in a home loss to SUNY Broome on Saturday.

The Spartans led by eight at halftime but were outscored by 16 in the second half, losing a 64-56 contest. The loss makes Cayuga 0-3 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference and in Region III competition.

Cayuga Coach Tony Borges said the team played well enough defensively, particularly in the first half, but wasn't productive enough on offense.

"We're just missing shots and turning the ball over too much. We played well defensively in the first half, but we allowed 47 points in the second half. We didn't defend as well as we needed to in that half," he said.

Defense controlled the first half, with the Spartans limiting the Hornets to just 17 points in the frame. Forward Tony Borges scored the first six points of the contest and paced Cayuga's first-half attack with 14 points, helping push the Spartans to a 25-17 lead at the break.

The Hornets slowly took control in the second half. After missing on all their first-half three-pointers, the Hornets sank three straight to take a 41-37 lead with more than 11 minutes left. Cayuga fought back to tie it and trailed by two with more than five minutes remaining, but the Hornets outscored Cayuga 14-8 down the stretch.

Borges finished with 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and forward Wol Machteng added 16 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. Marcus Ridley led Cayuga with three assists.

Cayuga (0-5) is on the road Monday, Nov. 20, at conference and regional opponent Jefferson Community College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.