ITHACA, N.Y. – Ithaca rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and defeated Cortland, 62-53, in a non-league game. The Bombers improved to 4-1, while Cortland is now 5-2 with the loss.

Sean Burton led the hosts with 19 points, including three three-pointers and 6-of-6 shooting from the foul  line. Tom Brown added 13 points and six rebounds, Sean Leahy scored 10 points and Jeff Bostic grabbed 13 rebounds.

Sophomore Will Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) was Cortland's lone double-figure scorer with 15 points. He also recorded three steals and three rebounds. Junior Juan Miolan (Troy) finished with seven points and five rebounds, sophomore Mike Lewis (Central Square) pulled down six rebounds and three Red Dragons – sophomore Paul Oliver (Phoenix/John C. Birdlebough), freshman Chris Milke (Macedon/Palmyra-Macedon) and senior Derrick Fish (Locust Valley) – scored six points apiece.

Cortland never trailed in the first half. The Red Dragons led 9-2 to start the game, then used a 9-2 run in the final 3:31 of the half to take a 31-21 halftime lead. Cortland still led 40-37 after a Milke tip-in with 10:21 remaining, but Ithaca went on a 9-0 run over the next 5:38 and led 46-40 with 4:43 left.

A Coston jumper and a three-point play by junior Carson Niehoff (West Islip) closed the margin to one at 46-45 with 3:17 left. Burton, however, hit a three-pointer with 3:06 left and Dominic Scanlon added a trey with 2:14 remaining to push Ithaca's lead to seven points. Coston made two free throws with 1:46 left, but the Red Dragons got no closer.

Cortland shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field in the first half, but was held to 23 percent shooting (8-of-35), including 0-of-10 from three-point range, in the second half. Ithaca rebounded from 24 percent shooting (8-of-33) in the first half to make 42 percent of its shots (11-of-26) over the final 20 minutes. The Bombers also made 20-of-21 free throws, including 7-of-8 by Brown, while Cortland made seven free throws in nine attempts.