Box Score Onondaga Women's Basketball narrowly escaped Tompkins Cortland Community College, 63-53, on Saturday afternoon in the semi-final round of the Mid-State Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
OCC captured the early lead but the Panthers never went away, hitting shot after shot to stay within reach of the #1 ranked team in the tournament. The Lazers held a narrow, 17-11, lead after the first ten minutes of play.
 
To start the second, TCCC scored five unanswered to get within one, but Sam Britton silenced the visitors by drawing the foul on the layup and finished the three-point-play at the charity stripe. The Panthers were back at it again with four minutes remaining in the first half, scoring eleven unanswered to capture their first lead of the game, 31-26. Jordan Vaught closed the door by scoring five to finish the half including a buzzer-beater from downtown to tie the game at 31.
 
Tompkins Cortland scored eight straight to start the third quarter, capturing their largest advantage of the night, 39-33. Onondaga responded with eight unanswered of their own to recapture the lead, followed by TCCC putting in five to steal back the two point edge. With 2:10 left in the third, Jordan Vaught drained a trey to move ahead, 44-43, and the Panthers responded with scoring five straight to end the third with the Lazers down, 46-48.
 
Onondaga's deep bench came into play in the final quarter. The well-rested Lazers held the Panthers to just five points in the final ten minutes of play. Morgan Deland tied the game at 48, and her team answered by going on a, 11-1, run to gain control of their home court. Jordan Vaught sealed the victory with 24 seconds left on the clock by draining both free throws, increasing the lead by eight. Jaleya Bryant's tough defense forced a turnover in the final seconds and she dropped it in for the, 63-53, victory.
 
OCC's three All-Conference selections: Sam Britton, Jordan Vaught, and Morgan Deland proved their worth by leading their team to victory. Sam Britton dominated the paint recording a career-high 31 points and 14 boards, shooting .520 from the floor and going 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Sophomore Morgan Deland commanded the glass with a career-high 21 rebounds, and Jordan Vaught scored 15 points, shooting perfect from the charity stripe.
 
Onondaga will play in the Mid-State Athletic Conference Championship game tomorrow at 11:00 in Allyn Hall. The Lazers will face the #2 Finger Lakes after the Lakers defeated Corning Community College, 57-38, in Game 2 of the semi-finals.