CORTLAND, N.Y. – Cortland's 15-0 run turned a close game into a rout in the final nine minutes as the Red Dragons opened SUNYAC play with a 78-53 victory over visiting Potsdam

Junior Lamard Herron (Westbury) led Cortland (4-0, 1-0 SUNYAC) with a career-high 34 points, eclipsing his previous best of 26 points three nights earlier at Ithaca. He shot 12-of-20 from the field and 8-of-8 from the foul line, and he also led the team with six steals and five assists. Sophomore T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) also posted a career best with 15 points. He made 4-of-6 shots from the 3-point arc.

Senior Kevin McMahon (Hoosick Falls) added eight points and a team-high seven rebounds. Freshman Michael Kelly (Monroe/Burke Catholic) and freshman Tyree Glascoe (West Hempstead) scored six points apiece.

Josh Blagrove (Brooklyn/Bishop Ford) was the lone double-figure scorer for Potsdam (1-5, 0-1 SUNYAC) with 10 points. Zac Adams (Potsdam) and Rishawd Hendricks (Brooklyn/Mount Zion Christian Academy) scored seven points each and Colin Peterson (Hilton) totaled five rebounds and three steals.

Cortland led 38-26 at halftime and was still up by 12 after a Hefele 3-pointer with 15:29 remaining. The Bears scored 14 of the next 19 points and trailed only 51-48 after a Peterson trey with 9:41 left.

McMahon started the Red Dragons' 15-point streak with a layup and Herron hit a layup with 8:17 remaining. Herron then set up Kelly for a 3-point play on a layup with 7:50 left, and McMahon's 3-point play with 7:18 on the clock pushed the lead to 13. Herron finished the run with a layup at the 5:56 mark and a 3-pointer with 4:57 left and Cortland led 66-48.

Cortland shot 52 percent from the floor in the second half and 49 percent for the game. The Red Dragons only committed eight turnovers compared to Potsdam's 15. Cortland also finished 21-of-27 from the free-throw line to 6-of-8 for Potsdam. The Bears shot 39 percent for the game.

Cortland will host Plattsburgh Saturday at 4 p.m. in a rematch of last year's SUNYAC title game, which the Red Dragons won in Cortland.