Battle of the Red Dragons

Oneonta Women's Basketball beats rival Cortland

By Trevor Mitchel

Cortland sets up a play during Tuesday night's game against Oneonta

With a little under 2,000 fans watching the Oneonta Women’s Basketball team gave them a great game.  In the annual battle of the red dragons Oneonta came out on top by a score of 63-55.  Oneonta had to come back in the fourth quarter after trailing by a score of 46-44 with about 8:00 minutes left in the game.  Star forward for Oneonta led the team by scoring some late buckets to seal the game for Oneonta.  She finished the game with 19 points while playing almost the entire game.

There were numerous student athletes and coaches supporting the Oneonta Women’s basketball team at Tuesday night’s game. Some of those in those student athletes in the stands were the tennis team including their coach Lon Mitchel who I was able to speak to about the game and supporting the school sports. He went on to say “As Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach I escorted my tennis players to the Women's Basketball game. As a partner in athletics it is great to support the other athletic events in campus. We love watching the other athletes commitment to their sport and it resonates to our student /athlete tennis players that we are not the only ones who are asked to make sacrifices .  Watching our women basketball players bring their "A" Games to beat our arch rivals from Cortland State was entertaining and great for athletic department."

I was also able to talk to Christine Santarsiero who is a player on the girls tennis team who was not as interested in basketball but was still there to support the team.

“To be honest the only reason I'm at the game tonight is because my coach made all of the players on our team come. I don't really like basketball at all but I will of course be supporting Oneonta against any team they play against.”

Whether they were forced to come or not many parents and students were there to support the Women’s Basketball team of Oneonta against rival Cortland.

Oneonta Women's basketball takes on Brockport next on February 12th at 5:30 pm.

Lyteshia Price inbounds to guard Samantha Lisikatos

Cortland guard Caysea Cohen drives past Oneonta forward Lyteshia Price during the 3rd Quarter of Tuesday Nights Game