HUDSON – Most of the teams in the Mountain Valley Conference are playing well this season. There are few easy games. When the 10-7 Raiders traveled to 10-8 Columbia-Greene CC on Wednesday, the contest figured to be a stiff challenge for both teams, and it was. The Twins put up a good fight, but the Raiders bettered them 75-65.

Photo:  Raheem Small sinking a three-pointer

Jordan Stewart sank FM's first basket – a three-pointer. The score stayed even for a while. FM's offense needed a few minutes to get going, but the Raider defense was keeping the Twins in check.

Marquis Edwards had another big game for the Raiders. He took a pass from Tyrone Davis and scored the first of his 20 points in the seventh minute of play. That gave FM a 14-12 lead, and the Blue and White led the rest of the way.

Tyrone Davis nailed a three, en route to a double-double night. Edwards bagged a three from the left side. Barceem Dukes took a feed from Courtney Darnley and scored. Raheem Small connected for three from behind the center of the arc, and FM led 27-17.

Photo:  Marquis Edwards scores after taking a breakout pass from Raheem Small

FM led 39-27 at the break and increased that lead to 15 points early in the second half, but the Twins never gave up. The home team closed to 56-50 with 7:22 to play, but then the Raiders upped their lead and managed the time well.

The Twins started fouling in an effort to blunt the FM attack. However, Edwards, Stewart, and Tyrone Davis went to the line in the final minute, and the trio went six-for-six from the stripe. Davis' pair of FT's assured victory. The scoreboard read 75-65 when the final buzzer sounded.

Four Raiders – Edwards, Stewart, Tyrone Davis, and Kyle Giddings – had scored in double figures. The FM offense also saw plenty of playmaking. Tyrone Davis led the way with 10 assists. But FM's defense deserved special credit. Head Coach Ed Collar praised the team's defensive play, particularly their first-half effort. "Our defense in the first half was our best defensive half so far this season," stated Collar.

The win kept FM in fourth place in the Mountain Valley Conference standings. The conference leaders are still Herkimer and Mohawk Valley. Both the Generals and the Hawks have 8-1 records in MVC play. Delhi is third, at 6-3. FM (5-4) is followed by Columbia-Greene (4-4) and North Country (4-4). The Timberwolves of Adirondack are 3-5. Hudson Valley (3-6), Clinton (1-7), and Schenectady (1-7) complete the listing.

FM is now 11-7 overall and 5-4 in Mountain Valley Conference play. Columbia-Greene is 10-9 (4-4). The Raiders' next outing will be a conference tilt at SUNY Adirondack on Saturday, January 24. Tip time is 3:00 p.m.

                      C.J. Bonny, website writer

Scoring:

FMCC:  Stewart 4-2-14, Darnley 1-0-2, Dukes 3-0-6, Giddings 4-1-10, D. Davis 0-1-1, Edwards 8-2-20, Small 3-0-7, Brioso 1-0-2, T. Davis 5-2-13; Totals 29-8-75

Three-point goals:  9 (Stewart 4, Edwards 2, Small 2, T. Davis)

CGCC:  Fortes 1-0-2, Elmendorf 1-0-3, Rodriguez 3-9-16, Edwards 5-5-16, Ryan 1-0-3, Hoose 5-2-12, Spohler 4-1-10, Rogers 0-1-1, Chicaiza 1-0-2; Totals 21-18-65

Three-point goals:  5 (Fortes, Elmendorf, Edwards, Ryan, Spohler)

Halftime:  FM  39 CGCC 27

Records:  FM  11-7 (5-4), CGCC 10-9 (4-4)

Photo:  The Raiders attack and Tyrone Davis scores – from left: Marquis Edwards (22), Kyle Giddings, Jordan Stewart, Davis, and Raheem Small

 

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