POTSDAM, N.Y. - Potsdam closed a 13-point second-half deficit to five but was unable to get any closer as visiting Cortland defeated the Bears, 65-55, in a SUNYAC men's basketball contest.
 
Cortland (10-4, 6-1 SUNYAC) was led by Aaron Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots. He was 5-of-6 from the floor. Isaiah Austin (Albany) made three 3-pointers and finished with 14 points, three assists and a career-high nine rebounds, and Nolan Raymond (Queens Village/Vermont Academy (VT)) rang up 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
 
Gaige Armbrewster (Oakfield/Oakfield-Alabama) registered eight points and three assists and Chris McDonald (Orchard Park) totaled six points, six rebounds and three steals. Gavyn Pacheco (Hopewell Junction/John Jay-East Fishkill) scored six points and Joel Davis (Watertown) hauled in seven rebounds and matched his career high with five blocks.
 
Ethan Baksh led Potsdam with 15 points and Bobby Kemokai scored 10 points. Mike Hancock added eight points and seven rebounds for the Bears, who dropped to 1-12 overall and 1-5 in the SUNYAC.
 
Cortland led 22-7 with 7:26 left in the first half, but Potsdam came back and trailed by only seven, 32-25, at halftime. The Red Dragons pushed their lead to 13 at 44-31 with 15:40 remaining, but the hosts answered again, this time with an 8-0 run that cut Cortland's lead to 44-39 with 10:47 left.
 
Cortland held a 53-48 lead with 4:52 left and, after Potsdam missed a layup, Austin made a free throw with 4:12 remaining to extend the lead to six. Potsdam missed its next three shots with a chance to reduce the deficit to four, and Armbrewster's fast-break layup with 2:51 remaining gave Cortland a 56-48 lead. Cortland clinched the victory by going 9-for-10 from the foul line over the final 2:09, including four free throws by Austin, three by Raymond and two by Armbrewster.
 
Potsdam turned the ball over 13 times, leading to 15 Cortland points. The Red Dragons committed 20 turnovers, but the Bears were only able to score eight points directly off of those giveaways.
 
Cortland plays at Plattsburgh Saturday at 4 p.m.