Cortland, NY – Sierra Pabo had a 20-point, five-rebound afternoon, but it was not enough as SUNY Canton dropped their first game of the season to the SUNYAC defending champions, the Cortland Red Dragons 61-48 Saturday afternoon down in central New York.

THE BASICS

• Result: Cortland 61, SUNY Canton 48
• Location: Whitney T. Corey Gymnasium – Cortland, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (8-0, 1-0 SUNYAC) | Cortland (4-2, 1-0 SUNYAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Against their strongest matchup of the season up to this point, the Roos start could not have been much better. SUNY Canton began the game 6-for-7 from the field and held the Red Dragons without a field goal as they took a 13-3 advantage five minutes in with Sierra Pabo leading the charge scoring seven points.
• Cortland scored their first field goal with 2:21 remaining and finished the quarter white hot from the field, including a buzzer beating three-pointer as SUNY Canton's lead was down to 17-13 after 10 minutes of basketball.
• The Red Dragons carried all their momentum into the second quarter, scoring six straight to kick off the quarter to take their first lead of the day at 19-17 just over two minutes in.
• The Roos defense was much better towards the end of the quarter, but they also could not replicate the hot shooting start they had early in the first quarter.
• The Roos trailed 28-25 after the first half. Only three players recorded points for SUNY Canton with Pabo at 13, Kate Grainger at nine, and Kat McRobbie-Taru putting up three.
• Points were hard to come by in the third quarter on both ends with each team scoring just four points in the first five minutes. Pabo had five points in the quarter, and the Roos were down 39-35 with 10 minutes left to play.
• Pabo scored on the Roos opening possession of the second half to make it a one possession game, but Cortland caught fire from the three-point line making four threes on four attempts, pulling ahead by double digits 53-43 with 4:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.
• Hope Aniceto scored and Grainger hit a three late, but the Roos could get enough buckets to mount a late comeback, falling 61-48 for the first time this season.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Pabo's 20 points were a team-high, and the California native was also 9-for-13 from the field.
• Grainger was second on the Roos with 13 points while McRobbie-Taru had 11 points, five rebounds, and three blocks.
• Jackie Funk paced the Red Dragons with 26 points while Joleen Lusk had 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals.
• In a slow-paced game, the Roos actually shot above their season average at 43% (21-49) while Cortland was at 39% (21-54). The Red Dragons though made 12 free throws while SUNY Canton was just 2-for-8 at the charity stripe. The home team won the rebound battle (36-26) and one day after the Roos set the assists record, they only registered four assists.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos will have one month's time off, until they get right back into the thick of the SUNYAC schedule with a road matchup against Oneonta on Tuesday, January 6.   
   

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.