CORTLAND, N.Y. – Cortland overcame an 11-point deficit with less than nine minutes remaining and the Red Dragons defeated host Utica College, 87-85, in the non-league season opener for both teams.

Senior Blair Estarfaa (Buffalo/Maryvale) led four double-figure scorers for the Red Dragons with 23 points. He made 3-of-8 shots from 3-point range, including a key basket with 1:17 left that cut a 5-point deficit to two, and was 14-of-19 from the foul line.

Freshman Justin Cooper (Pine Plains/Stissing Mountain) was 7-for-7 from the foul line in an 11-point effort, and he led the team with seven rebounds. Sophomore Zach Lydon (Elizaville/Stissing Mountain) and senior T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) scored 10 points apiece, with Lydon also grabbing five rebounds. Hefele's 3-pointer with 30 seconds left put Cortland up 83-82. He added two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to increase the lead to three, and Cooper's two foul shots with a second left sealed the win.

Also for the Red Dragons, sophomore James Morales (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) scored eight points and senior JP Reagan (Cortland) added seven points and a team-high four assists.

Robert Tutein led Utica with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Jawan Simmons added 16 points, six boards and three assists. Devin Wilkerson chipped in with nine points, Ivan Iton totaled eight points and six rebounds, and Carl Taylor scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting.

Cortland trailed 21-10 less than eight minutes into the game, but rallied and eventually led 40-37 at halftime. The lead grew to seven on Lydon's 3-point play with 17:48 left, but the Pioneers fought back and eventually led 70-59 on a Seamus McHugh trey with 10:51 left.

The margin was still 11 at 72-61 at the 8:41 mark, and Utica held a 79-71 lead with 4:01 left after a Wilkerson jumper. Hefele hit a free throw with 3:34 left and a layup at the 3:13 mark to make it a 5-point game. Taylor's layup for the hosts pushed the lead to seven, but Estarfaa made one free throw and Reagan hit two charity tosses to cut the deficit to four.

Following one Utica free throw, Estarfaa and Hefele hit their 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give Cortland the lead. Utica missed a jumper with 25 seconds left and, after Hefele's free throws, threw away a pass with two seconds left while trying to set up a possible game-tying 3-pointer. After Cooper's free throws, Simmons hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to create the final margin.

Cortland outscored Utica on the foul line by 25 points as the Red Dragons made 35-of-44 free throws (80 percent) to the Pioneers' 10-of-21 shooting (48 percent). Utica shot 50 percent from the field, including 44 percent (11-of-25) from 3-point range. Cortland was 42 percent from the floor overall and 37 percent (10-of-27) from the arc.

Cortland will co-host the Cortaca Classic Friday-Saturday, Nov. 20-21, with Ithaca College. Cortland will face Cobleskill Friday at 6 p.m. at Ithaca, followed by Ithaca versus Bridgewater State (Mass.). On Saturday in Cortland, Ithaca will play Cobleskill at 2 p.m. and Cortland will face Bridgewater State at 4 p.m.