Balanced attack leads Monroe past Onondaga
Four hit double figures as the Tribunes romp, 93-54.
ROCHESTER - Playing its first game in 18 days, the MCC women's basketball team had to shake off a bit of early rust against an Onondaga CC squad that came into Thursday's game undefeated.
Once the Tribunes hit their stride, there was no slowing them down.
Monroe broke open a close game with a 17-0 first-half run that propelled the team to a 93-54 victory to hand the Lazers their first defeat of the season.
Tolulope Ogunrinde had 22 and Tyese Purvis scored 20 for MCC. The Tribunes improved to 6-1 as head coach Tim Parrinello notched his 498th career victory.
Bailey Hixson's hot hand helped MCC stay with Onondaga early. The sophomore connected on a trio of three-pointers in the first four minutes as the teams battled back and forth. Hixson was perfect from the floor over the first 20 minutes, hitting all four 3's and finishing 5-for-5 for 14 points.
Trailing 15-13 seven minutes into the half, the Tribunes embarked on the run that helped put the game away. MCC scored the next 17 points - six each by Ogunrinde and Rose Ayala - to take a 30-15 lead.
Purvis then added three layups late in the half to give Monroe a 47-28 lead at the break.
It was more of the same in the second half, as the Tribunes put up 46 more points to win going away.
Ogunrinde pulled down 10 boards and added three blocks to go with her game-high point total. Purvis chipped in with six assists to go with her 20 points. Hixson finished with 15, and Kiki Bynes tallied 10 points and eight assists.
MCC forced 27 Lazer turnovers, which they converted into 35 points.