A free throw with 4.1 seconds left gave the Tompkins Cortland men's basketball team a thrilling 63-63 win over Corning Community College on Tuesday. The home win improves the Panthers to 5-4 overall and 3-1 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference. Corning drops to 4-4 overall and 0-1 in the MSAC.
The game was tight the entire game, with 11 lead changes and the score tied eight more times. The biggest lead for either team in the first half came in the closing minutes of the half, when Corning was ahead by seven before the Panthers cut into that lead and trailed 30-26 at the half. The Red Barons tried to establish control in the second half, scoring the first four points to lead 34-26, but the Panthers had an answer. Starting with a basket by Deamontae Riley (Buffalo/Burgard H.S.), the Panthers went on a 9-0 run to erase the deficit and take the lead at 35-34. After a pair of lead changes, the Panthers threatened to run away with things, capping a 6-0 run with a pair of free throws to lead 49-42 with 8:24 left on the clock. This time it was Corning that had an answer, ripping off eight straight to reclaim the lead at 50-49 with just over six minutes left to play. Ratcheting up the defense, the Panthers held the Red Barons scoreless over the next three minutes, inching ahead to a 57-50 lead as the clock went under 3:30 left.
The spread was still seven points at the three minute mark, 59-52, but the Red Barons had one more push left. Corning scored on back-to-back possessions to get with a pair, after a Panther free throw made it 60-57, the Red Barons drained a three-pointer to knot the score at 60-60 with a minute left to go. A big offensive rebound and put-back basket by Marven Louissaint (Brooklyn/Erasmus Hall H.S.) made it 62-60 with 30 seconds left, the Red Barons answered with the equalizer with 11 seconds left. With the ball and the clock running down, Riley drew a foul with 4.1 seconds left. He made the first one to put the Panthers up 63-62. His miss on the second one gave Corning one last chance, but Logan Nordman (Onondaga/Onondaga H.S.) made the final stop of the game, stealing the ball to seal the win.
Riley finished the game with 14 points to lead all scorers, adding 7 rebounds and 2 steals to his stat line. Louissaint had 13 points and 6 rebounds and Nordman was solid with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Emond Frazier (Center Moriches/Center Moriches H.S.) added 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Looking ahead
The Panthers have another long break before their next game on Wednesday, January 19 when they host Cayuga Community College.