NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Junior
T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) led three Cortland double-figure scorers with 19 points as the Red Dragons defeated New Paltz, 57-48, in a road SUNYAC contest.
Hefele scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, including 7-of-7 free throw shooting. Senior
Lamard Herron (Westbury) scored 13 points and registered five steals and six rebounds, and junior
Blair Estarfaa (Buffalo/Maryvale) finished with 11 points. Senior
Matt McGowan (Lake George) led the Red Dragons (13-4, 6-4 SUNYAC) with 10 rebounds and freshman
Justin Prendergast (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) added eight rebounds.
New Paltz (8-9, 6-4 SUNYAC) was led by Taylor Sowah's 11 points and 14 rebounds. R.J. Rosa scored 10 points and made five steals.
Cortland struggled early, scoring only six points over the game's first 13 minutes, yet the Red Dragons gave up only 13 points during that stretch. Cortland closed to within three points a couple of times later in the half and trailed 23-17 at halftime.
The Red Dragons tied the game three times in the first eight minutes of the second half and took its first lead since the game's opening minute when freshman
Carrel Joseph (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Deer Park (NY)) hit a layup at the 10:56 mark to make the score 33-31.
Neither team led by more than three points the next nine minutes. Trailing 46-44, Cortland tied the game on two Estarfaa free throws with 2:01 left and, following a Herron steal, Estarfaa buried a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1:17 left to put the Red Dragons ahead 49-46.
New Paltz missed two 3-pointers on its next trip down the floor and then turned the ball over with 35 seconds left. Freshman
Paul Burke (Central Valley/Monroe-Woodbury) hit two foul shots with 34 seconds left to push the lead to five, and Hefele sealed the win by making 6-of-6 from the line over the final 26 seconds.
Cortland shot only 23 percent in the first half, but improved to 37 percent in the second half and finished at 30 percent. New Paltz also had its shooting issues at 29 percent for the game, 27 percent in the second half.
Cortland hosts Brockport in a SUNYAC matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m.
Box Score/Play-by-Play
