Spartans Fall in Conference Tourney Semifinals

Strong third and fourth quarters weren't enough for Cayuga Community College Women's Basketball to overcome one of the top teams in Division III on Friday.

In the semifinals of the Mid-State Athletic Conference Tournament, the third-seeded Spartans started slow and lost 69-52 to the second-seeded Jefferson Community College Cannoneers. Jefferson, who is ranked #5th nationally, advances to the tournament championship, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at host site Onondaga Community College.

Cayuga Coach Jim Alberici said the Spartans rebounded from a challenging start to play the Cannoneers even in the second half of the contest.

"Our effort has been great all year, and I'm proud of how hard we played tonight. Jefferson shoots the ball very well, and I think we were a little nervous at the start," he said. "But we settled down and played really well in the third and fourth quarters."

The Spartans found themselves down quickly in the first quarter, with the Cannoneers sinking several three-pointers and leading 21-9 entering the second. Cayuga's offense picked up in the quarter, but Jefferson increased its lead to 38-21 by halftime.

Cayuga came out quickly in the third quarter, shooting well from the field and cutting the Cannoneers' lead to 12. The Spartans trailed 53-39 entering the fourth quarter, but were unable to narrow the margin to less than 10.

Lamontiona Johnson led Cayuga with 17 points and finished with five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Avrey Colton had 14 points, a team-high nine rebounds and five assists, and Maddy Weed had nine points. Lexi Alberici had six points, four assists and four steals.

The Spartans now prepare for the Region III Tournament. Cayuga is seeded eighth, and will travel to Watertown to again face the Cannoneers, who are the top seed in the regional tournament. The game is scheduled for Friday, March 1.