ONEONTA, N.Y. – Cortland whittled a 19-point second-half deficit to five but couldn't get any closer as the Red Dragons lost to host Oneonta, 86-72, in a SUNYAC men's basketball game.
 
Austin Grunder (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) and Kareem Lubin (South Blooming Grove/Washingtonville) accounted for 58 points for Cortland (10-11, 6-8 SUNYAC) in the setback. Grunder scored 36 points and hauled in 14 rebounds. He was 13-of-22 from the floor and 10-of-11 from the foul line. Lubin scored a career-high 22 points, including 17 in the second half. He finished 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe.
 
Oneonta (15-7, 11-4) had five players score in double figures. Dylan Trombley led the host Red Dragons with 22 points. Daniel Derice scored 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and grabbed five rebounds, while Sean Nolan hit 6-of-8 shots and finished with 17 points and four assists. Michael Ortale Jr. rang up 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals, and Frankie Williams added 11 points.
 
Cortland led 17-11 just about midway through the first half, but Oneonta went on an 11-1 run to take a 22-18 lead with 6:57 remaining. Oneonta led by as many as 11 points on three occasions in the first half and held a 39-31 halftime lead.
 
The Oneonta advantage grew to 19 points at 59-40 on a Derice layup with 13:09 remaining. Cortland fought back over the next 10 minutes, eventually closing to within 77-72 on two Lubin free throws with 3:21 left. Cortland had a chance to make it a one-possession game, but turned the ball over on each of its next two trips down the floor. An Ortale steal and long pass led to a Williams 3-point play with 2:18 left to give Oneonta an 80-72 lead. Nolan blocked a shot on Cortland's next possession and Ortale sealed the win with a 3-pointer at the 1:38 mark.
 
Oneonta shot 53 percent from the field, hitting exactly 17-of-32 shots in each half. Cortland finished the game at 50 percent, including 63 percent in the second half, but was only 2-for-9 from 3-point range.
 
Cortland plays at New Paltz Saturday at 4 p.m.