CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior Lamard Herron (Westbury) and junior T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) scored 18 and 14 points, respectively, as Cortland improved to 8-0 with a 76-48 non-league win over visiting Medaille College.

The Red Dragons are now off to the second-best start in school history behind only a 9-0 beginning by the 1952-53 Cortland squad. Medaille fell to 4-4 with the loss.

Herron made 4-of-7 3-pointers and finished with seven rebounds and four assists. He scored 15 of his 18 points in the opening half to help Cortland take a 35-26 halftime lead. Hefele scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half and ended 3-of-5 from the 3-point arc. He also totaled four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes off the bench.

Junior Shayne Martinez (West Haverstraw/North Rockland) added eight points, on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor, along with four rebounds and four steals. Freshman Justin Prendergast (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) made all three of his shots from the field and scored seven points and junior Grequan Carter (Queens/Humanities & The Arts) registered seven steals, five rebounds and five points. Freshman Carrel Joseph (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Deer Park (NY)) chipped in with six rebounds and two assists.

Ryan Grandits led the Mavericks with 15 points and Jammal Coleman scored 10 points. Johnathan Belton and Louie Oliveri shared the team lead with six rebounds each.

Cortland shot 39 percent from the field, including 32 percent (10-of-31) from 3-point range. Medaille shot 33 percent overall and only 13 percent (2-of-16) from long distance and committed 26 turnovers.

The Mavericks led 21-20 with 5:47 left in the first half after a Coleman layup before Cortland went on a 10-1 run over the next two-plus minutes. Hefele's 3-point play capped the streak and put the Red Dragons up 30-22. Cortland led 35-26 at halftime and scored the first nine points of the second half – four by Martinez – to take a 44-26 lead with 16:44 left. The Red Dragons held a double-figure advantage the rest of the game.

Cortland will host New Paltz in a SUNYAC contest Tuesday, January 6, at 2 p.m., followed by the women's game at 4 p.m.

Box Score/Play-by-Play