Score: Morrisville State 81 – Elmira College 72
Records: Morrisville (3-0), Elmira (0-1)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
 
Elmira, NY -- Elmira College men's basketball cut a 21-point second half deficit to just five points with one minute to play in regulation but that would be as close at the Soaring Eagles would get, as Morrisville State outlasted EC in its season opener, 81-72. Fourth-year forward John Mullane '16 led the Purple and Gold with a team- and career-high 13 points while Gino Leonardi '16 and Hayden Harkins '18 chipped in with 10 apiece.
 
The first eight minutes of tonight's contest was a tough one, as EC got out to a slow start, going just 1-for-12 from the field. On the other hand, Morrisville could not have asked for a better start, as the Mustangs went 6-for-12 from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to take a commanding 17-2 lead at the 13:27 mark.
 
Morrisville would go on to take a 26-13 lead later in the half but a 13-5 run by the Soaring Eagles cut the Mustang lead to just five, 31-26, with four minutes to play in the half. Fueling Elmira's run was Harkins, who knocked-down a pair of deep threes, which momentarily shifted the momentum of tonight's game.
 
However, Morrisville closed out the first half on a mini 7-2 run, including a Tyler Bliss jumper to close out the first stanza to give the Mustangs a 38-28 lead at the break.
 
In the second half, Morrisville once again built a hefty lead thanks to a 15-4 run in the opening 3:24, bringing the score to 53-32, Morrisville's largest lead of the night. Qwuhail Barlow paced the Mustangs during their run, scoring eight points on a pair of three-pointers and a lay-in.
 
Elmira looked to chip away at Morrisville's 21-point lead and would do so, slowly but surely, over the next eight minutes. The Soaring Eagles outscored Morrisville 27-11 during that eight-minute window, bringing the score to 64-59. During that stretch, Elmira's rookies played a large role in their furious comeback, as Justin Porrett '19, Anthony Abate '19, and Henry Cuffee '19 combined for 18 points. Porrett led the charge with eight points during that time.
 
From there, Morrisville tried to keep Elmira at arm's length by building their lead to as many as 11 points with 3:43 to play. However, EC showed heart down the stretch, cutting Morrisville's double-digit lead to just five points with 1:09 to play, 77-72. Leonardi capped Elmira's rally with back-to-back layups at the 2:02 and 1:09 marks.
 
Unfortunately, Morrisville would go 4-for-7 at the free throw line in the closing 1:09 while holding Elmira scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting to seal an 81-72 victory.
 
Turning Point
Without a doubt, tonight's game was a winnable one for the Soaring Eagles. Elmira shot well from the field, at the line, and did a fine job on the boards. However, the key turning points in today's contest was EC's slow starts to open the first and second halves. Elmira gave up a 15-point lead in the opening 6:33 of the game and saw the Mustang's take a 20-point lead in the opening 5:38 of the second. In total, Elmira was outscored 30-to-12 combined in the opening five minutes of each half.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira went 26-for-58 from the floor (44.8%) and 8-for-21 (38.1%) from three-point range.
• The Soaring Eagles had a good night at the free throw line, going 12-for-15 (80%).
• EC's shooting vastly improved as the game progressed, as Elmira shot 16 percent better in the second half.
• Elmira won the turnover battle, forcing 14 Morrisville giveaways to EC's 12.
• Rebounds were also fairly tight, with Morrisville holding a 31-to-28 edge.
• Despite Morrisville's height advantage, EC had 28 points in the paint compared to the Mustangs' 20.
• Elmira's bench was a key strength tonight, as it accounted for 41 of the team's 72 points.
• Three EC players finished with double figures, including Mullane (13), Leonardi (10), and Harkins (10).
• Leonardi led EC on the boards with six rebounds.
• Porrett proved to be a spark plug tonight with nine points and a game-high five assists.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira's 72 points are the second-most scored in a season-opening game in the last six seasons.
• EC's 44.8 shooting percentage is the program's highest season-opening percentage since 2002, when the Soaring Eagles shot a blistering 52.9 percent from the field in a five-point win over Buffalo State.
• Elmira's rookies accounted for 26 of the team's points tonight and shot a collective 11-for-17 (64.7%) from the field.
• Mullane's 13 points is a career-high and marks the second time in his EC career with double digits.  
• Elmira allowed 13 three-point field goals, the most since a December 30th matchup with Centre College last year.

 
Up Next
Elmira will look to bounce back from tonight's setback tomorrow, when the Soaring Eagles face Mount Saint Mary College in the consolation game of the Elmira College Tip-Off Tournament. Tomorrow's game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at EC's Speidel Gymnasium.