Men's Basketball Wins Thrilling Conference Opener

A college basketball game in action, with a player in a white jersey from Tompkins Cortland leaping to make a one-handed shot near the basket, while players from the opposing team, Genesee Cougars, in black jerseys attempt to block. Other Tompkins Cortland team members, dressed in white and green, sit on the bench, watching the play intently. A coach in a suit stands near the sidelines, observing the game closely. The gymnasium has green bleachers.
Kobe Nwosu (Darl Zehr Photography)

The Panthers men's basketball team opened Mid-State Athletic Conference with a thrilling 78-68 win over Genesee Community College. The home win evens the Panthers at 1-1 overall, while Genesee drops to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the MSAC.

The Panthers and Cougars were the top two teams in the MSAC last year, and Saturday's matchup was tightly contested from the opening tip. The first twenty minutes of play featured ten lead changes and five ties, including when the horn sounded to end the half at 27-27.  

Genesee started strong in the second half, taking a seven-point lead in the opening minutes. The Panthers used a 9-2 run to erase the lead, tying the game at 40-40 on a layup by Kobe Nwosu (Spring Valley/North Rockland H.S.). The lead changed sides several times over the next six minutes, with neither team leading by more than a possession. With eight minutes left, Genesee used a mini-run to take a 54-49 lead, but the Panthers again responded. After reclaiming the lead at 57-56, the Panthers took advantage of three technical fouls on Genesee over the next three minutes to push the lead to 67-56 with just over two minutes left. Solid free throw shooting over the final two minutes kept the lead safe for the home team, with the Panthers finishing by making 25 of 33 attempts from the line in the second half.

Marqiis Samuels (Long Island/The Patrick School) led all scorers with 24 points. Nwosu and Javonte Long (Harlem/Clayton H.S.) each had a double-double; Nwosu had 22 points and 11 rebounds while Long had 11 points and 11 boards.

Looking ahead

The Panthers host Onondaga Community College on Wednesday, November 13. Tip is set for 5 p.m.