Lakers Fall in MSAC Championship Semi-Final Round to Cayuga in Overtime

DRYDEN, NY. – The #2 Lakers, in an MSAC Championship semi-final round matchup with #3 Cayuga CC on Friday, fell to the Spartans in overtime, 49-47. The game, which took place at Tompkins Cortland CC, consisted of both teams outscoring one another by six points in separate half's during regulation.

Meeting for the third time in the 2012-13 season, Cayuga established itself a 24-18 lead heading into the second half. The Lakers, led by Richard De La Cruz's game-high 12 points, came back in the second half to knot the game at 46 before the horn sounded signaling the end of regulation.

After outscoring the Spartans 28-22 in the second half, Finger Lakes, in overtime, was outscored, 3-1. The loss was the Lakers first this season against Cayuga.

On a night where neither team shot the ball particularly well, the Spartans, behind Shaquille Holley's 11-point (team-high) performance on 4-13 shooting, would advance on to play in the championship game.

In the 45-minute contest, the Lakers shot just 27 percent while Cayuga was just 26 percent from the field.

De La Cruz and Holley were the loan players who scored in double figures in the game. All 12 of De La Cruz's points came from three-point range, where he was 4-8.

Following De La Cruz in the scoring column for Finger Lakes with 8 points and 7 points respectively were Will Arberry and Sean Carbonell. Arberry, who was 4-11 in 32 minutes from the floor, added a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with his point total. Carbonell, in addition to his offense, pulled down 9 rebounds in the losing effort.

For Cayuga, Holley was followed in the scoring department by Delquan Holmes and Maurice Mobley. Both guards each registered 8 points apiece in the win.

The Spartans, on the glass, received 12-rebound and 10-rebound efforts respectively from Justin Staton and Jared Donalson.

Holley, along with Staton, each added 3 blocks apiece. Cayuga, as a team, tallied 10 blocks on the night.