The Onondaga Community College men's basketball team is set to make its 15th consecutive post season appearance at 5 p.m. on Friday as the No. 3 seeded Lazers open the 2014-15 Mid-State Athletic Conference Championship against second-seeded Finger Lakes Community College in Corning. The top-seeded Red Barons will face the fourth-seeded Tompkins Cortland Community College Panthers in the other semifinal matchup with the winner of each vying for the conference crown at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Third Time's a Charm?: Onondaga is no stranger to Finger Lakes, having played the Lakers twice this season. Onondaga fell to the No. 9 Lakers 112-95 on January 21 before dropping its home finale, 86-64. on Valentine's Day. Dating back to the 2011-12, Onondaga has lost seven of its eight contests against Finger Lakes with its only win coming on January 25, 2012, but hey – Onondaga could be due for the upset.
Turning Things Inside- Out: Onondaga has been strong in the paint this season as forwards
Lloyd Parkmond,
Michael Scott,
Colyn Hanley and
Kameron DiSanto are all capable of putting up big numbers. Parkmond leads the Lazers and ranks 10th in Region III with 17.0 points per game while Scott and DiSanto both average over 11 points for the Lazers this season. Because Onondaga has been able to work the ball inside, opposing defenses have been forced to help, leaving the Lazers' sharpshooters open on the perimeter.
Kyle Kline and
Joseph Piazza are capable of catching fire from distance as both rank among the Region's leaders in made 3-pointers with 54 and 52 treys, respectively.
Seeing Double-Double Vision: And no, we're not talking about the foreigner classic. Parkmond and Scott have combined to post 17 double-doubles this season to date. Parkmond has tallied a team-leading nine while Scott has posted eight of his own including double-doubles in his last three games.
One and Done: The Lazers have proved to be a great rebounding team and currently lead not only the conference, but the entire region in rebounds per game. Onondaga's 44.6 rebounds per game is nearly four boards better than the next closest team. What this means for opponents is that they better take a high percentage shot each possession because they may not get a second opportunity.
Know Your History: The four teams in this year's field have combined to win 12 Mid-State Athletic Conference Championships since 1988-89. Onondaga has won four titles but none since the 2006-07 season while Corning has also won three titles, however, the Red Barons have not claimed the thrown since winning three straight MSAC titles between 1992-1995. Tompkins Cortland has earned three championships, including the last two and Finger Lakes has hoisted the conference trophy twice, but not since the 2005-06 campaign.
Scouting Finger Lakes: The Lakers enter the conference tournament as the ninth-ranked team in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll with a 21-4 overall record including a 10-2 mark in conference play. Finger Lakes boasts five players that are average double-digit scoring totals led by Kievonn Banks' 16.5 points per game. As a team, Finger Lakes leads the region and ranks fifth nationally with 90.5 points per game, however, the Lakers also get the job done defensively and lead the region in points allowed per game (70.4).
Scouting Corning: The Red Barons enter championship weekend as the top overall seed in the 2014-15 MSAC Championship after compiling a 11-1 record against conference opponents and a 19-7 overall mark on the season. Corning is led by its sophomore forward, Sayquan Chambers who ranks fourth in Region III and 20th in the nation at 19.9 points per game. Chambers also leads the Red Barons in rebounds per game (8.1) and 3-point field goal percentage (.438). Should Onondaga meet Corning in the finals it would set up a meeting between two of the best front courts in the region.
Scouting Tompkins Cortland: The Panthers secured the No. 4 seed in this year's championship after producing a conference record of 4-8 and a 9-16 record overall. Tompkins Cortland won't overwhelm you in scoring, but they do rebound the ball well, ranking right behind the Lazers at 41.2 rebounds per game. Tompkins Cortland lost both of its contests this season against its opening round foe, Corning, however, overtime was needed in both games to decide the outcome.
