Cortland basketball went 2-0 on Tuesday night as the men and women won in dominant fashion. Strong defense and terrific shooting proved to be the difference, as both teams won big. With conference playoffs just a little over two weeks away, last nights victories have put both teams in prime position as the regular season comes to a close.
Women’s Basketball defeat Fredonia: 80-47
Even with some early first quarter struggles, the Cortland women’s basketball team dominated the Fredonia Blue Devils en route to a 33-point victory. The win improved their record to 17-3 overall and 12-1 in conference.
It seemed like everyone on the floor had the hot hand last night. The team shot 14/26 from three, and nine different players hit from beyond the arc.
Sophomore Kayla Campbell (Franklin/Franklin Central), who is coming off a SUNYAC (State University of New York Athletic Conference) player of the week award, led the way with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block. Sophomore Jackie Funk (Penfield) had 11 points, five rebounds, and three blocks.
Freshman Sam Dembinsky (Wallkill), who saw an increased role last night, matched her season high with 9 points and five rebounds. 6 of her points came at a crucial moment in the second quarter, including a huge three, which helped Cortland begin to pull away.
Sophomore Joleen Lusk (Cherry Valley/Cherry Valley-Springfield) has been a force in the Red Dragon front court all season but found herself in foul trouble early. Despite playing just 11 minutes, Lusk scored 5 points, grabbed five boards, and blocked three shots. Even with her absence for a majority of the game, the team made several plays on the defensive end, racking up ten steals and nine blocks.
Junior Kaeli McAnally (Islip) had 8 points, five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Bella Zingoni (Kings Park/Long Island Lutheran) had 6 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Men’s Basketball defeat Fredonia: 90-66
Cortland fans were in for a treat last night, as Isaiah Austin (Albany) tied a Cortland single-game record with 10 made 3-pointers.
The junior guard scored a career-high 40 points on 12-21 shooting and 10-17 from three. Austin tied Dave Maggiacomo’s school record, which was set in 2007. Austin also became the first Red Dragon to eclipse 40 points in a single game since Maggiacomo scored 42 during his record-setting performance. Maggiacomo’s career game came coincidentally enough against Fredonia.
Fredonia found a way to keep it close in the first half, and Cortland only took a 9-point lead into the break. However, a quick start to the second half saw the lead up to double digits and only grew from that point on.
6’7 Junior Aaron Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) filled up the box score with 15 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks. Coston has been on a tear as of late, averaging 18 points and six boards over the last six games.
Junior Kendall Arcuri (Staten Island/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) scored 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Sophomore Joel Davis (Watertown) added 9 points, seven rebounds, three assists, four steals, and two blocks.
The win improved their record to 11-9 overall and 10-3 in conference, which is good enough for a share of first place.
What’s Next?
Both teams host Morrisville on Friday night. The women’s game tips off at 5:30 and the men’s at 7:30. With the SUNYAC playoffs right around the corner, both teams will be paying close attention to New Paltz.
New Paltz is responsible for the women’s lone conference loss, and the men dropped a game to the Hawks when they met in January.
With all four teams atop the SUNYAC standings, it seems that their February 15th meeting will have serious implications in terms of seeding.