ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Junior Kevin McMahon (Hoosick Falls) and senior Brian Manning (Elmira/Southside) scored 17 points apiece to pace a balanced scoring attack as Cortland defeated Nazareth, 78-59, in a non-league matchup. The Red Dragons improved to 7-1 on the season and Nazareth is now 7-3.

Senior Harrison Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) added 13 points, senior Jeremy Smith (Bronx/Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy) scored 10 points and senior Jesse Winter (Rockville Centre/Southside) tallied nine points for the Red Dragons, who are now 4-0 versus teams from the Empire 8.

McMahon and Manning each made 6-of-9 shots from the field. McMahon led the team with eight rebounds. Manning hit 3-of-5 three-pointers as part of Cortland's 48 percent shooting (10-of-21) from behind the arc. Smith and sophomore Lamard Herron (Westbury) paced the Red Dragons with four assists each.

Jack Giles and Maurice Mills led Nazareth with 11 points each. Giles made 3-of-4 three-pointers, but the Golden Flyers overall only hit 5-of-26 shots (19 percent) from three-point range. Brad Ford finished with nine points and seven rebounds and Mitch Ford scored nine points.

Cortland led 34-26 at halftime behind 11 points from Manning and eight by Smith. Nazareth closed to within three points a few times, the last at 47-44 after a Scott Hayford layup with 13:24 remaining.

Manning's jumper on Cortland's next possession started a 12-0 run that extended the Red Dragons' lead to 59-44 with just under 10 minutes left. Winter scored five points and McMahon four during that stretch. Nazareth's Vinny Amuso ended the run with a three-pointer, but Hefele answered with a trey, Manning hit a jumper and both McMahon and Manning made a pair of free throws to put Cortland up by 21 with 5:59 left.

Cortland will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Land of Magic Classic December 29-30. The Red Dragons will play Ursinus College (Pa.) on the 29th at 4 p.m. and Embry-Riddle University, the host school, on the 30th at 6 p.m. as part of the eight-team tournament's pre-determined schedule.