OSWEGO, N.Y. - Cortland overcame an 11-point first-half deficit and pulled away in the second half to defeat host Oswego, 80-69, in a SUNYAC women's basketball contest. The Red Dragons won their eighth straight game and improved to 11-3 overall and 6-1 in the league, a half game behind first-place Oneonta (7-1).
Caysea Cohen (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) led four Cortland double-figure scorers with 18 points. She also grabbed six rebounds and hit 8-of-9 free throws. Stephanie Rice (Duanesburg) finished with 14 points and three rebounds, while Danielle Levine (Holbrook/Sachem North) and Alyssa Crosby (Brier Hill/Hammond) tallied 10 points apiece. Levine also matched her career high with nine rebounds, set a career high with four steals, and dished out three assists.
Crosby hauled in five rebounds, and Cassidy Chapko (Valley Falls/Hoosic Valley) and Kerry McHugh (Highland Mills/Monroe-Woodbury) each recorded four assists. McHugh matched her career high in that category. Taylor Miller (Freeport) led the team with five steals.
Oswego (3-12, 1-7 SUNYAC) was led by the combination of Taylor Sorell and Courtney Ameele. Sorell hit 7-of-12 3-pointers and scored 21 points. Amelee finished with 19 points and six rebounds. Mary Mazzella added 13 points, seven boards, four steals and three assists, and Zana Dillard led the Lakers with 10 rebounds.
Oswego led by 11 four times in the second quarter, the last at 43-32 after a Mazzella layup with 4:11 left. Cortland, however, finished the half on a 9-0 run to pull within 43-41 at the break. Chapko started the run with a 3-pointer, and Levine closed the streak with a putback as the half expired.
The Red Dragons scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 48-43 advantage. The Lakers were within four points with 4:36 left in the third before Cortland rattled off seven straight on a Rice 3-pointer, two Cohen free throws and a Levine jumper. Cortland led by 12 after three quarters and by as much as 18 in the fourth.
Cortland will travel to Geneseo on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. for a makeup of a game with the Knights that was postponed last Tuesday.