For the second time in three years, several members of the Cooperstown boys basketball team have been suspended for violating the team's code of conduct policy.

Seven of the 13 team members will miss four of the team's games, including Friday night's game against undefeated Mt. Markham and Tuesday's game at Herkimer, a rematch of last year's Section Three Class C-1 final. The code of conduct states that players will be suspended for 20 percent of the season's games for the use of alcohol, drugs or tobacco products for the first infraction. The basketball team is scheduled to play 20 regular season games.

Cooperstown basketball coach Dave Bertram said he was extremely disappointed and disheartened.

"It's a big let down and it kind of makes you wonder why you do this," Bertram said. "We put all this work in, and I feel like the players are my family. Then this happens twice in three years and you wonder if it's all worth it."

The timing was especially bad for the team, which began the year 1-4 but had reeled off four straight wins, including a tournament championship victory over Class C power IHC Watertown last week.

"Certainly, our hope and expectation is that both the players and their parents would take the document they sign very seriously," said Cooperstown Superintendent Mary Jo McPhail.

McPhail added she could not comment on the circumstances or specifics involving the suspensions.

The seven players, including four starters, missed last Friday's game at previously winless Sauquoit, and the Redskins dropped a 44-39 decision. Junior varsity players Chris Gulotta, Mac Curran and Quinn Snyder were called up to the varsity before the Sauquoit game.

The Redskins did manage to avert complete disaster Saturday night, when senior Derek Busse, the only starter not to be suspended, hit a 15-foot jump shot as time expired to give CCS a 54-53 victory.

Cooperstown trailed 53-50 with less than a minute remaining, but Curran blocked a shot on the defensive end leading to a fast break lay-up to make it 53-52.

After Canastota missed the front end of a one-and-one foul shot, Cooperstown had possession with 16 seconds remaining. With six seconds left the ball was knocked out of bounds, and after a missed shot a Canastota player knocked the ball out of bounds with .8 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Busse took the inbound pass turned and swished a 15-footer for the 54-53 win.

Busse, a senior forward, finished with a varsity-high 24 points and eight rebounds.

Curran hit two three-point shots and finished with 10 points. Joe Horrigan added eight points for Cooperstown, which trailed by six points heading to the final quarter.

Friday's varsity game begins at 7:30 p.m.