Red Dragons Sweep RPI in Dominant Week 15 Game
SUNY Cortland’s Woman’s Club Basketball team opened Week 15 with a dominant performance against RPI, earning a 69–23 victory on its home court. The Red Dragons controlled the court from the second the game started, setting the pace with a strong defense and consistent scoring throughout.
Cortland kept RPI from scoring much and gradually increased its lead, showing the team’s skills as they took control of the game.
The Red Dragons followed that effort with an even more impressive game in the second matchup, overpowering RPI 90–26 to complete the sweep. With the two wins, SUNY Cortland is now 6–2 overall, keeping the team on a roll in the North Atlantic–East and proving to be a strong group as the season continues.
Syracuse Proves to Be a Tough Game for Cortland
Cortland faced its toughest test of the season in two games against Syracuse last weekend, one of their biggest rivals in the league. These games resulted in the team’s first losses of the season.
The first game ended in a close score, with Cortland staying competitive throughout. The Red Dragons kept up offensively and had chances, but Syracuse narrowly won 49–46. In the second game, Syracuse gained more control. Cortland continued to put points on the board, but Syracuse managed to take over in a 51–38 win.
Cortland Women’s Club Basketball President and power forward Vanessa Flanders led the team with 14 points, while junior point guard Alison DiPietro followed closely with 13. Junior center from Utica, Reese Fellows, talked about the 10 rebounds she grabbed during the game. “I just tried to bring energy,” Fellows said. “Those rebounds helped us stay competitive.” Despite the loss, Cortland proved they could go head to head with their top rival.
Cortland Women’s Club Basketball: Last Semester in Review
The team began the year with two wins over Cornell, winning 48–28 in the opener and 52–35 in the rematch. Cortland’s offense was steady in both games, while the defense did enough to keep control over the other team. Cortland followed another two game sweep against Ithaca. The first game ended with a 58–30 win. The second game was closer, but Cortland held on for a 31–24 victory.
The Red Dragons also competed in a weekend tournament in Boston, where the team played multiple games against new competition and was challenged by a back to back game schedule. Flanders said the experience helped the team grow, especially in skill development and communication on the court. “This experience really helped our team improve our skills and communicate better with each other,” Flanders said. Cortland carried that momentum through the rest of the semester and finished undefeated 4–0 heading into the break.
What’s Next for the Red Dragons
After tough losses to Syracuse, Cortland is working to get back to the level they played during their undefeated first semester. Their recent game against RPI showed they are still ready to compete. The team is starting to regain the consistency and confidence that helped them win all their games earlier in the season.
Cortland is back to practicing twice a week, using those sessions to prepare for upcoming games and sharpen their skills. With big matchups against Binghamton coming up, the Red Dragons have a chance to prove they are back in form and carry that momentum into the rest of the season.