ONEONTA, N.Y. - Junior Carson Niehoff (West Islip) scored 16 points, all in the first half, and sophomore Mike Lewis (Central Square) sparked a late 7-0 run that broke a 58-58 tie as Cortland defeated Oneonta, 72-68.

Cortland improves to 17-5 overall and is guaranteed at least a second-place finish in the SUNYAC East and at least fifth overall in the league with a 10-3 mark and three games left. Oneonta drops to 11-11 overall and 6-7 in the conference.

Lewis recorded 15 points and eight rebounds. Niehoff and senior Michael Jankiewicz (Utica/Oriskany) each made 4-of-5 three-pointers. Jankiewicz finished with 14 points, as did sophomore Paul Oliver (Phoenix/John C. Birdlebough), with Oliver also registering six rebounds. Senior Mark Schaller (Rochester/Greece Athena) tied his career high with seven assists.

Oneonta's Bobby Fisk (Coeymans/ND-Bishop Gibbons) led all scorers with 25 points, including five three-pointers. Michael Grimes (Albany/CCHS) added 15 points.

Cortland trailed 9-0 to start the game, but eventually tied the score at 16-16 with 11:18 left. Niehoff scored the Red Dragons' final 13 points of the half, all in a span of less than four minutes, and Cortland led 39-35 at the break.

The game went back and forth in the second half before Oneonta tied the contest at 58-58 with 6:07 remaining. Cortland, however scored the next seven points - six by Lewis - and took a 65-58 lead with 3:05 remaining. Oneonta hung close and eventually cut the deficit to three on a long Fisk trey with 26.4 seconds left. Junior Juan Miolan (Troy) made the first of two free throws with 21.2 seconds left to push the Cortland lead to four, and Oneonta missed on two three-point attempts in the final 12 seconds.

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