FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - Aaron Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) hit the game-winning free throw with three seconds left to cap a 24-point day as Cortland defeated host Farmingdale State, 79-78, in the opening round of the Rams' Tip-Off Tournament.
 
Cortland (2-1) advances to the championship game Sunday at 3 p.m. against nationally 25th-ranked University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), which defeated Albright, 71-61, in Saturday's second game.
 
Farmingdale (1-1) trailed 78-71 with 2:37 left before rallying to tie the game. James Notias scored the first six points of that run, and Liam Buckley made the second of two free throws with 22 seconds remaining to knot the score. Following a Cortland timeout, Cortland ran the clock down until Coston drew a shooting foul in the closing seconds. He made his first foul shot and missed the second. Farmingdale called timeout, and the Rams missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
 
Coston finished 9-of-12 from the floor, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, in his 24-point effort. He also led the Red Dragons with 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. Kendall Arcuri (Staten Island/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) hit 5-of-10 shots, 3-of-5 from the arc, and ended with 13 points and five rebounds.
 
Also for Cortland, Nolan Raymond (Queens Village/Vermont Academy (VT)) scored 11 points, Kendrick Wilson (Wheatley Heights/Moravian Prep (NC)) finished with nine points, five assists and three steals, Joel Davis (Watertown) posted eight points, six rebounds and two blocks, and Isaiah Austin (Albany) scored eight points.
 
Farmingdale (1-1) was led by Notias with 22 points and four assists. He was 8-of-14 from the field. Sean Conroy poured in 18 points and had three assists, while Derek Reed and Jordan Tucker each scored nine points.
 
Cortland shot 18-of-36 from 3-point range, but only 9-of-21 inside the arc. Farmingdale shot 45 percent overall and 31 percent (4-of-13) from deep, but the Rams were 20-of-24 from the foul line compared to Cortland's 7-of-8 free throw shooting.
 
Cortland up 45-42 at half, and neither team held a lead greater than four points in the first 15 minutes of the second half. The Red Dragons used an 11-2 run from the 7:13 mark to the 3:35 mark to take a 76-69 lead, and Cortland was
 
Down 67-65, Cortland went on 11-2 run from 7:13 to 3:35. Davis 3-pointer and Arcuri basket capped the run and put Red Dragons up 76-69, and the teams each scored two points prior to Farmingdale's last comeback.