Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton women's basketball team trimmed a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to just one, but visiting Cortland survived for a 51-46 SUNYAC win against the Roos on Friday evening. The Red Dragons are ranked 23rd nationally in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 poll and receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.

THE BASICS

• Result: Cortland 51, SUNY Canton 46
• Location: Stan Cohen Court – Canton, NY
• Records: Cortland (19-3, 14-1 SUNYAC) | SUNY Canton (16-6, 9-6 SUNYAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams combined for just five points over the first five plus minutes of action in a defensive battle. The Red Dragons led 4-3 after a Kat McRobbie-Taru layup with 4:06 left in the opening quarter. Cortland used a 7-0 run to open an 11-3 advantage before a Kate Grainger layup got Canton within 11-5 after the first.
• Canton got within two in the opening minutes of the second stanza after a Sierra Pabo layup. The Red Dragons opened their largest lead of the half at nine (24-15) after a Sophie Bissaillon three-pointer with 20 seconds left as the visitors held that same lead at intermission.
• McRobbie-Taru had six of Canton's 15 first-half points, while Sam Dembinsky paced Cortland with seven points.
• Cortland controlled the opening four minutes of the second half as they started the third frame on an 11-0 run to open a 35-15 advantage. The Red Dragons led 39-22 after 30 minutes of action.
• Canton trailed 42-29 with 7:21 remaining, but used a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to just one after a Pabo three-pointer with 1:57 remaining. Cortland responded with a Dembinsky bucket in the paint as the Roos had the ball with just over a minute remaining in a one possession game.
• After a couple of empty possessions for both teams, Joleen Lusk split a pair of free throws as her second attempt got lodged between the rim and backboard. Cortland maintained possession with the alternating arrow and Dembinsky knocked down two free throws with 15 seconds to play to extend the lead to six.
• Hope Aniceto banked in a three with three seconds left to trim the deficit to one possession, but Jackie Funk buried a pair of free throws to seal the 51-46 win.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• McRobbie-Taru paced the Roos with 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals, while Pabo also scored in double figures with 10 points and added three rebounds and three assists. Grainger added eight points and five rebounds.
• Dembinsky led the visitors with 12 points, while Funk totaled 10 points and seven boards. Lusk was one point short of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
• Due to the strong defense both teams struggled shooting the ball with Canton hitting 29% of its field goals and 27% of its free throws, while Cortland shot at clips of 28% and 21%, respectively.
• Cortland held the upper hand in rebounds (48-36), points off turnovers (7-0), bench points (14-8) and fast break points (8-4).

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos return to the hardwood on Saturday when they host Morrisville at 2 p.m. 
   

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.