The Fulton-Montgomery Community College Raiders men's basketball team delivered a thrilling performance in the opening round of the Region 3 postseason tournament, securing a hard-fought 84-77 victory over the Corning Red Barons. For the first time since the 1994-98 seasons, the Raiders advance to the quarterfinals for the fourth straight season.
FMCC opened the game on a 9-0 run to get off to a fast start. Max Pritchett led with 10 first half points and the Raiders led 40-35 at the half.
In a back-and-forth second half, both teams battled for control, but the Raiders' offensive firepower and tough defense proved to be the difference-maker. FMCC built a small but comfortable lead in the second half, holding off Corning's attempts to close the gap.
The Raiders had a balanced offensive attack with four players scoring in double figures. Milos Cirovic led the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Johnardo Turner followed with 18 points, Pritchett with 16 and Cooper Mason added 14.
The victory propelled the Raiders into the next round of the tournament, giving them a chance to continue their postseason journey. "Regional playoff time is literally what we play 4-5 months of our season for. It comes down to one single elimination tournament. What our teams have been able to accomplish in the past few years has been great, but this is a new team, new guys, and I am really proud of their effort. They have showed up every single day of the season after a win or loss and competed for us. I am excited for them that they get to experience moving on in the tournament. It is a great time of year, and I am glad we are moving on. We will get ready, and we hope to see everyone Friday in Herkimer," said Head Coach Ej Gallup.
The Raiders will continue their quest for the Region 3 title, hoping to build on this successful start to the postseason. They will take on #1 Mohawk Valley in the quarterfinals on Friday, February 28th. The game will take place at Herkimer College with a 5:30pm tip.
