UTICA, N.Y. – Cortland shot a season-best 52 percent from the floor and five players scored in double figures as the Red Dragons defeated host Utica University, 85-78, in a non-league men's basketball game. The Red Dragons won their sixth straight game to improve to 8-1 on the season. Utica suffered its first loss and dropped to 6-1. 
 
Kareem Lubin (Monroe/Washingtonville) finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Cortland. He made 7-of-13 shots from the field. Austin Grunder (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) finished with 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Kendall Arcuri (Staten Island/St. Joseph by the Sea) hit 5-of-8 shots, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and ended with career-highs of 13 points and six assists along with four rebounds. 
 
Isaiah Austin (Albany) and Cam Williams (Rome/Rome Free Academy) each scored 10 points. Austin was 4-of-5 from the field with two 3-pointers and Williams hit 4-of-8 shots, also with two treys. Isaiah Preston (Penfield) ended with eight points, four rebounds and two assists. He hit two of his three 3-pointers. Aaron Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) added seven points, four rebounds and two assists. 
 
Justice Brantley led the Pioneers with 26 points on 11-of-23 shooting. He also grabbed five rebounds. Thomas Morreale ended with 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks and Daylon Thompson scored 11 points. Avery Coston, Aaron's older brother, and Luke Bourgault each registered nine points and seven rebounds, with Coston also dishing out four assists. 
 
Cortland shot 33-of-64 from the field, which included 11-of-21 (53 percent) from the 3-point arc. Utica ended at 45 percent overall and 35 percent (7-for-20) from deep. 
 
Cortland led 25-16 less than 13 minutes into the game but the hosts whittled the margin down to four, 40-36, at halftime. Utica took its first lead of the second half at 55-53 on a Brantley layup with 13:56 left, but the Red Dragons answered with a 15-5 run to go up by eight, 68-60, with 10:07 remaining. Austin scored seven points during that run. 
 
Utica fought back and took its final lead of the afternoon at 74-73 on a Bourgault layup with 4:57 left. Cortland regained the lead on two Coston free throws with 4:38 left and extended the lead to seven on 3-pointers by Arcuri and Williams over the next two minutes. The Pioneers closed back to within three points with 1:08 left, but Lubin answered with a 3-point play on a driving layup and free throw with 51 seconds remaining. Lubin's free throw with 18 ticks on the clock sealed the victory. 
 
Cortland returns to action Dec. 29-30 at the Juniata College Doc Greene Tournament. The Red Dragons will face Pitt Greensburg in the opening round Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. and will play either Juniata or Washington (Md.) on the 30th.