The Tompkins Cortland Community College women's basketball team proved it can play with anyone Tuesday as the Panthers closed out the regular season Tuesday with a tough 64-60 loss to Finger Lakes Community College. The Panthers end the regular season with a mark of 15-8 overall and 7-5 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference. Finger Lakes is 21-3 overall and 11-1 in the MSAC.
Both team struggled to score in the first quarter, with Tompkins Cortland holding a 10-8 lead at the horn. The scoring picked up in the second quarter, with Finger Lakes putting 24 points on the board to take a 32-28 lead into halftime. The Panthers opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run to regain the lead, only to have the Lakers score the next four points to regain the lead. A three-pointer by Tatiana Minnick (Ithaca/Ithaca H.S.) put the Panthers back in front, 39-38, with 3:47 left in the third. They would hold the lead the rest of the quarter, taking a 45-44 lead into the final period.
The lead would change hands three more times in the fourth quarter, with Finger Lakes breaking a 52-52 tie with a bucket with 4:30 left, sparking an 6-0 run that left the Lakers up 58-52 with 4:10 left. The Panthers cut it to three points three times, the last time coming in the final minute, but were unable to get all the way back.
Despite the loss, the Panthers had several highlights. Minnick finished the game with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Her assists give her 140 for the season, setting a new Panthers record for assists in a season, and moved her to within three assists of the career record. Jaida Washington (Elmira/Elmira H.S.) had another big game with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Reyanah Brown (Syracuse/Syracuse Academy of Science) had a new season-best 20 rebounds along with 12 points, posting her sixth double-double this year.
The Panthers now advance to the Mid-State Athletic conference playoffs as the #3 seed. The MSAC tournament will be hosted by top-seeded Finger Lakes Community College, with semifinal games Friday and the championship game on Saturday. Friday's games will include Finger Lakes vs. Jefferson Community College at 5:30 p.m. and Tompkins Cortland vs. Onondaga Community College at 7:30 p.m.