BUFFALO, N.Y. – Cortland cut a 19-point second-half deficit to three with less than six minutes remaining but got no closer as the Red Dragons fell at Buffalo State, 78-70, in a SUNYAC men's basketball contest.
Both teams are now 15-7 on the season with the outcome. Cortland is fourth in the SUNYAC with a 10-5 league mark, while the Bengals are fifth at 9-7.
Jordan Glover led five Buffalo State double-figure scorers with 19 points, including 6-of-12 shooting from the 3-point arc. Mike Henry finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Nico McLean tallied 12 points and five assists. Lovell Smith added 11 points and three blocks and Dom Grayer made three 3-pointers and finished with 10 points.
Zach Lydon (Elizaville/Stissing Mountain) led Cortland with 15 points and also pulled down nine rebounds.
Justin Cooper (Pine Plains/Stissing Mountain) ended with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists,
James Morales (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and
Nicky Bonura (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) added 10 points.
Justin Prendergast (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) finished 3-for-4 from the field and scored nine points.
Buffalo State shot 44 percent from the floor, including 56 percent in the first half as the Bengals built a 50-33 halftime lead. The hosts made 8-of-16 treys in the first half and finished 11-of-23 from the 3-point line. Cortland shot 43 percent from the field for the game, but only 6-of-22 (27 percent) from 3-point range.
Buffalo State, which never trailed, took its largest lead at 52-33 on a Henry layup less than a minute into the second half. Cortland whittled away at the Bengals' lead and pulled within single digits at 59-50 on a Lydon layup with 12:17 left.
The Red Dragons were eventually within three at 69-66 on a Bonura 3-pointer with 5:23 on the clock. Cortland missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 4:30 left, and Jordan Chateau hit a free throw to put Buffalo State up by four with 4:05 remaining. The hosts pushed the lead to seven on a Glover 3-pointer with 2:59 left and led by at least seven from that point.
Cortland will play at Fredonia Saturday at 2 p.m.
