SUNY Cortland’s Men’s basketball team has officially started their 2024-2025 season. Coming off an exciting year where the Red Dragons finished with a 15-12 record and making it to the second round of the SUNYAC tournament, Cortland is looking to improve off of that momentum. As Cortland is trying to find their own groove this season they’ve been off to somewhat of a slow start.
During the early part of the season, teams can expect to have rust and different wrinkles to iron out when having a new group of players together. That’s been the case for the Red Dragons so far through three games as their record stands at 1-2. In their three games they’ve lost to RPI, won against Potsdam, and lost to Ithaca. Although a slow start there’s no reason to panic as Cortland gets to defend home court in their next three matches against Rochester on November 18th, a rematch against Potsdam on Dec 6th, and Plattsburgh on Dec 7th.
The Red Dragons started their season at the Nazareth Mike Daley Memorial Tournament, in Rochester, New York. The Red Dragons first match against RPI ended in a 55-49 loss. Kendall Acuri led Cortland with fourteen points and six boards to go alongside it. Aaron Coston and Joel Davis added fourteen points and ten points respectively. As a team though, Cortland would go 17-51 from the field totaling a low 34% and coughing up seventeen turnovers, ultimately ending up in a disappointing result. In the third place game of the tournament Cortland faced SUNYAC opponents Potsdam, the game would not count towards the conference standings. During the consolation match five Red Dragons scored in double figures. As a team, Cortland shot 46% from the field, 40% from the three point line and only had twelve turnovers.
On November 13th the Red Dragons traveled to Ben Light Gymnasium to take on the Ithaca Bombers. Both schools are very accustomed with each other in a rich history which this matchup played right into. The game was gritty and ugly with both teams shooting fairly low percentages from the field and the three-point line. Both teams never led by more than seven, but Ithaca’s last run was enough to put them over the edge in the end. Returning home is the best thing for the Red Dragons right now as they defended home court well last year with a record of 8-5 in Corey Gymnasium. The last time we saw the Red Dragons at home we were given a classic during the SUNYAC quarterfinals against Plattsburgh. In an overtime thriller, Cortland won off a buzzer beater by Kendall Acuri to put Cortland in the semifinal round with a 78-77 win.
Make sure to come out and support your Red Dragons throughout their homestand as the fans’ energy helps Cortland Rise to the level of competition against their opponents. Rochester is a team that Cortland has not played since the 2021-2022 season. Both SUNY Plattsburgh and Potsdam will have these games circled on their schedule as they search for revenge on our home court. These games look like they will be competitive and high-intensity matches so come out and cheer your Red Dragons on.