Twenty points from Macy Boice (Homer/Homer H.S.) and a double-double from Shantasia Jeffrey (Harlem/Curtis H.S.) helped lead the Tompkins Cortland Community College women's basketball team to a 65-56 win at Corning Community College Wednesday. The win goes a long ways towards clinching a fourth-straight Mid-State Athletic Conference playoff appearance for the Panthers. With three games left on the conference schedule, the Panthers are in third place in the MSAC with a record of 6-3 in the MSAC and 8-7 overall. Corning is currently in fourth place with a mark of 4-5 in the MSAC and 7-11 overall. SUNY Broome is in fifth place with a record of 3-6. The top four teams make the conference playoffs.
Playing at Corning, the Panthers led 16-12 after the first quarter and then took control with a 23-10 advantage in the second quarter. After each team scored nine points in the third, the Panthers held a 48-31 lead heading into the final quarter. In the fourth, Corning got hot from the floor, scoring six three-pointers. At the same time, the Red Barons tried to extend the game by sending the Panthers to the foul line 17 times in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, despite scoring 26 points of their own in the fourth, the tactic didn't work for Corning as Tompkins Cortland connected on 11 of the 17 attempts, including 6-for-6 from Jeffrey, to seal the win.
Boice set a new career-high in points with 20, connecting on 4 three-pointers while also pulling down 7 rebounds. Jeffrey scored 14 points, going 10-for-12 from the charity stripe while adding 14 rebounds to post her third career double-double. Taylor Day (Brooktondale/Ithaca H.S.) poured in 15 points for the winners.
With SUNY Adirondack canceling its season, the Panthers have the weekend off. The next game on the schedule is the home finale against Onondaga Community College on Wednesday, February 13.