CORTLAND, N.Y. – Junior Blair Estarfaa (Buffalo/Maryvale) scored 21 points to lead six double-figure scorers as Cortland remained unbeaten with a 91-73 victory over visiting Ithaca College.
Estarfaa hit five of his seven 3-point shots and 7-of-12 overall from the floor for the Red Dragons (4-0). Junior Shayne Martinez (West Haverstraw/North Rockland) finished with 15 points, five assists, five rebounds and three steals and senior Lamard Herron (Westbury) ended with 15 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds.
Also for the Red Dragons, junior Grequan Carter (Queens/Humanities & The Arts) totaled 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting along with three steals and a share of the team lead with seven rebounds. Junior T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) added 10 points and three rebounds and freshman Justin Prendergast (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) hit all four of his field goals in a 10-point effort. Freshman Carrel Joseph (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Deer Park (NY)) tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.
Ithaca (1-4) was led by Keefe Gitto's 17 points and eight rebounds. Joe Masino recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Carlin Champion scored 14 points and Max Masucci chipped in with 11 points. Champion hit 4-of-8 3-pointers and Masino was 3-of-7 from the arc.
Cortland used an 8-0 run on 3-pointers by Estarfaa and Hefele and a Matt McGowan (Lake George) layup to extend a 26-25 lead to 34-25 with 6:39 left in the first half. The Red Dragons led 50-39 at halftime, with Martinez scoring 13 of his 15 points in the opening period.
The Red Dragons led by as much as 16 points in the second half at 67-51 on an Estarfaa trey with 12:18 left. Ithaca eventually closed to within seven at 80-73 on Marc Chasin's 3-pointer with 2:16 left, but Joseph hit two free throws with 1:54 left and Hefele sank four charity tosses in the final two minutes as part of Cortland's game-ending 11-0 run.
Cortland shot 13-of-24 (54 percent) from 3-point range and 48 percent overall. The Red Dragons were 6-of-9 from the arc and 19-of-35 (54 percent) in the first half. Ithaca shot 57 percent in the first half but only 37 percent in the second half to finish at 47 percent.
Cortland begins SUNYAC play on Friday at home against Buffalo State at 5:30 p.m.