Tribs rally, take down Kats in OT
ROCHESTER - MCC scored six of the first eight points in overtime and clinched the game at the charity stripe to finish off a 90-83 win over Erie Community College in a Western New York Athletic Conference men's basketball matchup Wednesday evening.
The wild affair saw the Tribunes (2-3 WNYAC, 10-11 overall) trail by as much as 19 in the first half before rallying to force the extra session.
Tied at 75 at the end of regulation, MCC took the lead in overtime on a basket inside by Roberto Molina. After Erie missed a shot, Majesty Brandon got to the hoop for a bucket to make it 79-75. The Kats responded with a pair of free throws, but Molina again scored in the paint. MCC then hit nine free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
The Tribunes made all three field goal attempts and were 9-for-12 from the line in the extra session.
Erie (3-1, 17-2), ranked 10th in NJCAA Division II, led 37-18 on a Jonathan McDonald layup with 3:35 to go in the first half. But Jason Hawkes hit a layup and Brandon scored six straight to help cut the lead to 12 at the break.
Monroe closed to within two a couple times early in the second half, but the Kats again were able to seize momentum. Erie was up by 11 with just over seven minutes to go before MCC rallied once again. The teams exchanged leads numerous times down the stretch, and Erie led by two with 35 seconds left when Monroe's Omari Brown hit a pair of free throws to send the game to OT.
Brandon finished with a game-high 30 points to pace Monroe. He also had nine rebounds and three assists. Hawkes finished with 20 points and six boards.
Wes Nelson Jr. and Keysean Smith scored 10 points apiece, and Gilberto Cue tacked on seven points and 11 rebounds.