CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior Lamard Herron (Westbury) scored 16 points and dished out five assists as Cortland opened the season with a 73-54 non-league win over visiting Utica College.

Herron was one of three double-figure scorers for the Red Dragons. Junior Blair Estarfaa (Buffalo/Maryvale) scored 15 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line and 6-of-6 free-throw accuracy. Freshman James Morales (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) hit all four of his 3-point attempts and finished with 12 points.

Also for the Red Dragons, senior Matt McGowan (Lake George) hit 4-of-5 field goals and finished with eight points and two blocks. Junior Grequan Carter (Queens/Humanities & The Arts) scored seven points and handed out three assists and junior Shayne Martinez (West Haverstraw/North Rockland) added six points and a team-high six rebounds.

Utica (0-1) was led by Conor Maisch's 16 points and five rebounds. Aaron Nevins scored 10 points and Chris Jeffers totaled nine points and five rebounds.

Cortland shot 57 percent from the floor in the first half and finished the game at 46 percent, while Utica was held to 25 percent in the opening half and 33 percent for the contest. Cortland led 16-2 after a Herron jumper with 12:05 left in the half. The lead was at least 10 points the rest of the half and 13 at 36-23 at halftime.

Cortland quickly pushed its advantage to 22 at 49-27 on a Morales trey with 16:12 left. Utica got no closer than 16 points the rest of the way.

The Red Dragons made 9-of-18 shots from the arc and was 16-of-17 (94 percent) from the foul line. Utica connected on only 3-of-18 from 3-point range (17 percent) and was 15-of-20 from the free throw stripe.

Cortland will co-host the Cortaca Classic with Ithaca College on Friday and Saturday. Friday's action is at Ithaca, with Cortland playing Farmingdale at 6 p.m. and Ithaca playing Trinity (Conn.) at 8 p.m. On Saturday at Cortland, Ithaca and Farmingdale meet at 2 p.m. and Cortland plays Trinity at 4 p.m.