CORTLAND, N.Y. – Jackie Funk (Penfield) scored a career-high 26 points as the Cortland women's basketball team defeated previously unbeaten Canton, 61-48, in SUNYAC action at Corey Gymnasium.
 
Canton (8-1, 1-1 SUNYAC) raced out to a 13-3 lead seven minutes into the game and held Cortland without a field goal until the 2:21 mark of the first quarter. Cortland (5-2, 2-0 SUNYAC), however, got back to within four at 17-13 when Mariah Huss (Buffalo/Sacred Heart Academy) hit a 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer, and the Red Dragons opened the second with baskets by Alex Dembinsky (Wallkill), Joleen Lusk (Cherry Valley/Cherry Valley-Springfield) and Funk to take a 19-17 lead.
 
Cortland never trailed again, but the Red Dragons led only 28-25 at halftime, 30-29 early in the third quarter, 39-35 after three quarters, and 44-39 with 8:06 left in the game. Cortland took control with a 13-4 run to go up 57-43 with 2:41 remaining. Funk started the run with two 3-pointers to make the lead 11, but Canton's Kat McRobbie-Taru hit two shots to shrink the lead to seven.
 
Huss banked in a one-handed 3-pointer as the shot clock ran out to give Cortland a 53-43 lead with 4:45 left. A Brooke Tillotson (Marathon) layup and two Lusk free throws finished the run.
 
Funk finished 9-of-14 from the floor overall and 3-of-4 from the 3-point arc, and she hit all five of her free throws. Her 26 points eclipses her previous career best of 22 points versus Canton in last season's SUNYAC semifinals. Lusk posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and added five blocked shots and two steals. Huss scored nine points on three 3-pointers, two in the fourth quarter, and Tillotson had six points and six rebounds. Bella Zingoni (Kings Park/Long Island Lutheran) led the Red Dragons with three assists.
 
Sierra Pabo made 9-of-13 shots and led Canton with 20 points and five rebounds. Kate Grainger finished with 13 points, but was held to three points after halftime, and McRobbie-Taru ended with 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks.