Box Score Onondaga Men's Basketball are the 2016-17 Mid-State Athletic Conference Champions after defeating Finger Lakes Community College, 80-62, on Saturday evening in Allyn Hall.
 
Tae Elijah gave OCC the lead off a trey just thirty seconds into the game, but the MSAC Player of the Year, Jonathan Range of FLCC responded with a layup, giving his team the advantage. The Lakers stayed on top until the 6:16 mark of the first half when Will Cutler drained a thirty-footer and put the Lazers up, 27-26. Finger Lakes did not go away, tying it at 31 with one minute left in the first half and they took the lead off a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc to send Onondaga to the locker room with a, 34-33, deficit at the half.
 
The Lazers opened the second with back-to-back buckets by Tae Elijah and Tyler Sullivan, taking the lead that their team never gave back. Sullivan continued his dominance in the second half, making three straight layups with thirteen minutes left to play. Tae Elijah chipped in a trey at the 10:13 mark off a Sullivan dish; then Sullivan was right back at it, scoring another seven straight points. With seven minutes left on the clock, the Lazers began to run away with the game off back-to-back threes from Tyler Sullivan and Will Cutler, and Tae Elijah sealed the championship with a bucket from downtown with one minute left in the game.
 
Tyler Sullivan scored a game-high 29 points and 7 assists, shooting .705 from the floor, and was appropriately crowned the Mid-State Athletic Conference Tournament MVP.  Tae Elijah dropped 21 points and captured 5 boards, and Will Cutler drained 4 threes for 12 points.  
 
Onondaga earned the top-seed in the NJCAA Region III playoffs that kick-off next week. OCC will host Hudson Valley Community College (18-10) on Tuesday night at 8pm in Allyn Hall. The Lazers defeated the Vikings in early December, 111-86, in Troy, NY.