CORTLAND, N.Y. - Senior Kerry McHugh (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) recorded career highs of 33 points, nine assists and five steals as Cortland defeated two-time defending SUNYAC champion New Paltz, 74-56, at Corey Gymnasium. The Red Dragons improved to 2-0 in league play and 2-4 overall.

McHugh finished with the highest point total by a Cortland player in a home game since Becky Burkley tallied 37 points versus Buffalo State more than 34 years ago on Feb. 19, 1983. McHugh hit 7-of-9 shots from the 3-point arc and 12-of-18 attempts overall. She scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Red Dragons outscored the Hawks, 27-16, in the period to turn a 33-32 deficit into a 59-49 lead.

Shana Crespo (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) totaled 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added three assists and two blocks. Justine Crespo (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) ended with eight points and seven rebounds and Joka Oyefeso (Staten Island/Port Richmond) registered a career-high five blocked shots.

New Paltz (3-4, 1-2 SUNYAC) was led by Rachel Simon's 12 points and three steals and Marion Deitz's 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Cortland trailed 33-28 late in the second quarter, but finished the period on a 4-0 run. Shannon McGuire's (West Babylon) steal and layup right before the buzzer drew the Red Dragons within a point.

The teams traded the lead nine times over the first four and a half minutes of the third quarter. Simon put the Hawks up 44-43 on a 3-pointer with 6:42 left in the period, but McHugh drained three 3-pointers over the two minutes and Cortland led 52-44.

The Red Dragons went on a 7-0 run with less than four minutes left in the third. S. Crespo hit a layup at the 2:38 mark and a free throw with 1:43 left. McHugh stole the ball and fed Taylor Miller (Freeport) for a layup with 54 seconds left, and Miller returned the favor by setting up McHugh for a layup with 19 seconds left to give Cortland a 59-46 advantage.

New Paltz pulled to within 10 on a Sandi Harris trey right before the buzzer, and got within nine just over a minute into the fourth quarter. McHugh, however, reached the 30-point mark with a 3-pointer at the 8:37 mark to extend the lead to 12, and Cortland led by double figures the rest of the way. McHugh finished off her career night with a 3-pointer from the left corner with 26 seconds remaining to create the final margin.

Cortland shot 47 percent from the floor and 50 percent (9-of-18) from the 3-point arc. The Red Dragons hit 55 percent of their field goal attempts (11-of-20) in the decisive third quarter. Cortland held New Paltz to 27 percent shooting from the floor.

Cortland will hit the road this weekend for SUNYAC games at Fredonia Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Buffalo State Saturday at 1 p.m.