The Tompkins Cortland Community College women's basketball team opened conference play on a down note Tuesday, dropping a home game against Jefferson Community College. The 73-53 final leave the Panthers with an overall record of 2-3 and a Region III record of 2-2. Jefferson is now 4-2 overall, 2-1 in Region III, and 1-0 in the MSAC.
The visiting Cannoneers jumped out early, scoring the first 11 points before the Panthers got on the board with a pair of Taylor Day (Brooktondale/Ithaca H.S.) free throws with 6:11 left in the first. The rest of the quarter saw the tams essentially play even, with Jefferson holding a 22-14 lead at the first break. The Panthers turned the tables to start the second, using a 10-2 run to open the period and tying the score at 24-24 on a Day three-pointer with 4:45 left before halftime. Jefferson regained the lead over the final minutes of the half, taking a 35-30 advantage into the locker room.
The game slipped away from the Panthers in the third period, with Jefferson scoring 27 points in the period to stretch the lead to 17 points. The final quarter saw the Cannoneers seal the win with an 11-8 advantage over the Panthers.
Day led the Panthers with 15 points while also grabbing 5 rebounds. Shantasia Jeffrey (Harlem/Curtis H.S.) added 10 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists and Macy Boice (Homer/Homer H.S.) finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Tuesday's game was the final home contest of the semester for the Panthers. The women end the semester with three straight on the road, starting with a trip to Johnstown Thursday to take on Fulton-Montgomery Community College.