CORTLAND, N.Y. - Cortland outscored Buffalo State 22-6 in an eight-minute span between the end of the first half and the start of the second half and the Red Dragons defeated the visiting Bengals, 69-51, in a SUNYAC men's basketball matchup.
 
Cortland improved to 9-4 overall and 5-1 in league play. The Red Dragons will play at Potsdam Friday at 6 p.m. and Plattsburgh Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Xavier Leveille (Blauvelt/Tappan Zee) led a balanced Cortland scoring attack with 13 points. He made 5-of-10 shots, including 3-of-7 3-pointers. Isaiah Austin (Albany) finished with 12 points and Nolan Raymond (Queens Village/Vermont Academy (VT)) rang up 11 points, five assists and three steals.
 
Aaron Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) made 4-of-6 shots and ended with nine points and seven rebounds. Joel Davis (Watertown) led Cortland with 12 rebounds and two blocks, Joe Evangelista (Rockaway Beach/Xavier) made 3-of-4 shots, including 2-of-3 treys, and scored eight points in six minutes, and Gavyn Pacheco (Hopewell Junction/John Jay-East Fishkill) chipped in with six points and four rebounds.
 
Jamel Scott led Buffalo State (5-7, 1-4 SUNYAC) with 14 points. Wilmer Beard scored seven points, Chisom Ani grabbed six rebounds, and Zee Johnson scored six points and added three steals.
 
Cortland led 20-14 with 3:50 left in the first half before ending the period on an 8-4 run, including 3-pointers from Leveille and Raymond and a basket by Pacheco, to take a 28-18 lead. The Red Dragons outscored the Bengals 14-2 in the first five minutes of the second half to extend their lead to 22 points. Leveille tallied five points during that stretch.
 
Cortland's lead grew as high as 25 points at 54-29 with 10:36 left. Buffalo State got no closer than 18 points over the game's final 15 minutes.
 
Cortland shot 54 percent from the floor in the second half and finished the game at 44 percent. The Red Dragons made 10-of-30 3-pointers and 11-of-14 free throws. Buffalo State shot 31 percent from the field overall and 21 percent (5-of-24) from the arc. The Bengals hit 12-of-18 free throws.