Great efforts from the entire short-handed team powered the Panthers women's basketball team to its biggest win of the season, upsetting Corning Community College 54-50 on Thursday.  The Panthers are now 6-10 overall and 4-6 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference. Corning drops to 10-9 overall and 7-4 in the MSAC.

Corning entered the game in third place in the conference standings, three places ahead of the Panthers. The two teams traded the lead eight times in the first half, with the Panthers holding leads of 11-8 after the first quarter and 22-21 at the half. The Panthers pushed the lead to five pints in the first minute of the third quarter, but the Red Barons rallied to take a 37-35 lead after the third quarter.

Amyra Portillos (Sandia Park, N.M./Manzano H.S.) opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to put the Panthers back in front, 38-37. The bucket sparked a 16-5 run, capped by a bucket from Thalia Jackson (Glendale, Ariz./Raymond S. Kellis H.S.) to make the score 51-42 with 4:20 left. Corning scored four quick points to make the score 51-46 with just under four minutes to play, and then both teams cold. Neither team scored over the next three minutes, with the Panthers finally converting a free throw with 38.2 seconds left to make the lead 52-46. A pair of free throws by Michaela Jean-Philippe (Binghamton/Binghamton H.S.) with 18.3 seconds left made the score 54-48, and sealed the win for the home team.

Jean-Philippe and Portillos each had huge games, playing all 40 minutes and posting double-doubles. Jean-Philippe led all scorers with 23 points to go with 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Portillos finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Jackson just missed a third double-double with 12 rebounds and 9 points.

Looking ahead

The Panthers play at Finger Lakes Community College on Saturday.