News Release

CORTLAND, N.Y. — Cortland used a 19-5 run at the end of the first half to take a 14-point lead and the Red Dragons went on to defeat Alfred University, 72-58, in a non-league matchup.

Senior Rod Headley (Peekskill) led Cortland (3-2) with 15 points. Sophomore Carson Niehoff (West Islip) finished with career-highs of 14 points and eight rebounds and freshman Mike Lewis (Brewerton/Paul V. Moore) added seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Senior Dave Maggiacomo (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) scored nine points, six coming on three-pointers late in the Red Dragons’ decisive run and junior Mark Schaller (Greece/Greece Athena) added seven points, five in the first half.

Dillon Stein (North Huntington/Norwin) led Alfred (2-3) with 13 points. Jared Patt (Nelson, PA/Elkland Area) added 12 points, Ryan Clemenson (Ovid/South Seneca) added 11 points and Pat Smithgall (Perry) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

The teams were tied at 21-21 when Clemenson made a three-pointer with 7:20 left in the first half. Niehoff gave Cortland the lead for good with a layup at the 6:42 mark and added a free throw 28 seconds later. Headley’s put-back at the 5:39 mark, two straight Lewis layups and a Niehoff basket extended the lead to 32-21 with 3:55 remaining.

Alfred drew back within eight points before Joe Sargent (Rochester/Rush-Henrietta) responded with a layup with 1:08 left. Maggiacomo then hit two three-pointers in the final 34 seconds, sandwiched around a Smithgall layup, and Cortland led 40-26 at the break.

The Red Dragons’ lead stayed in double figures the entire second half. Cortland led by 19 points at 56-37 on a Headley free throw with 12:06 remaining. Trailing by 18 points with 6:08 left, the Saxons made one last push to within 12 points with 3:03 left, but Niehoff and Schaller each made two free throws in the final 1:06.