Desean Strachan’s tie-breaking layup pushed Cayuga Community College Men’s Basketball to a road win over Finger Lakes Community College on Tuesday.
Tied with 21 seconds left, Strachan drove from the top of the key for what turned out to be the game-winning layup, giving the Spartans a 71-69 win and a season sweep of the Lakers. Cayuga defeated Finger Lakes by two earlier this season at Spartan Hall.
The game was close throughout, with neither team holding a double-digit lead at any point. Strachan and forward Marcus Pasha led the Spartans’ offense in the first half, combining for 22 of Cayuga’s 29 points. A layup by Cayuga’s Amaree Samuel and three-pointer by Ryan Adams erased a five-point Lakers lead late in the half, and the teams entered the break tied at 29.
Cayuga led for most of the second half, but couldn’t pull away from the Lakers. A Pasha jumper pushed the lead to nine, but the Lakers went on a 13-4 run to tie the game with less than four minutes left.
The Lakers sank a three-pointer with less than two minutes left to break a 66-66 tie, but Strachan tied the game seconds later with a three of his own, his third of the game. The Spartans came up with a defensive stop on a steal by Samuel, setting up Strachan’s game-winning layup.
Strachan finished with 25 points and five rebounds, and Pasha had 23 points and 13 rebounds. Samuel had 13 points, and Tony Borges had 13 rebounds and seven points.
Cayuga is on the road Saturday, Feb. 8, at SUNY Broome. The Spartans lost to the Hornets at home earlier this season, 61-59. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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