Score: St. Lawrence University 81 – Elmira College 74
Records: St. Lawrence (2-4), Elmira (1-5)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY

Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's basketball team clawed its way back from an 18-point second half deficit and came to within four late in the game, but it was not enough as the Saints of St. Lawrence University eked out an 81-74 victory.  Rookie guard Justin Porrett '19 continued his stellar play with another 20-point performance to go along with a team-high six rebounds and five assists.  
 
The opening nine minutes of the first half was a close one, as three lead changes and one tie took place with the Saints holding a 16-14 edge at the 10:55 mark. St. Lawrence would go on a 13-to-2 run over the next 3:40 to take a 29-16 lead. During that stretch, the Saints went 5-for-7 from the field, while the Soaring Eagles struggled to find their stroke from the floor, going 2-for-7.
 
Elmira chipped away at the St. Lawrence lead, but the Saints would eventually go up by as many as 16 in the opening half before taking a 43-29 lead into halftime. St. Lawrence's Ben Crawford set the tone on offense, leading all first-half scorers with 12 points.
 
The majority of the second half was controlled by St. Lawrence, as the Saints enjoyed a double-digit lead, one that peaked at 18 points early in the half. St. Lawrence's lead hovered around 14 points for most of the half and the Saints eventually held a 72-59 advantage with 5:18 on the clock.
 
Thankfully for Elmira, the Saints were whistled for 10 second-half fouls at that point, putting the Soaring Eagles in the double bonus. This would be a key factor in Elmira making a 15-to-6 run late down the stretch, pulling to within four points of the Saints at 78-74 with just 40 ticks remaining on the clock.
 
Elmira's run began with a pair of made free throws by rookie swingman Anthony Abate '19, who followed it up with a layup on EC's next possession, which cut the St. Lawrence lead to single digits for the first time since the 8:09 mark of the first half.
 
Not to be outdone by his classmate, Porrett also knocked down a pair of free throws, which trimmed the Saints' lead to just seven with 3:40 to play. St. Lawrence responded quickly with two made buckets from the charity stripe as well, but a Hayden Harkins '18 three-ball pulled the Soaring Eagles to within six points, 74-68, with 2:58 to play in regulation.
 
Free throw shooting and the three-ball continued to be a theme down the stretch, as St. Lawrence's Riley Naclerio sunk two from the charity stripe to push the lead to eight points.
 
Similar to the previous sequence, Elmira responded with another timely three-pointer, this one from Porrett. The scoring play began with Abate driving to the basket from the left wing before dishing it to Nick Cesare '16 in the paint. From there, Cesare found Porrett with a no-look pass, setting him up for the three from the left wing, bringing the score to 76-71 with 1:31 to play.
 
Kyle Edwards answered for St. Lawrence at the 1:06 mark with a pair of made free throws. On Elmira's next possession, Justin Henderson '16 created space with a pump fake at the arc, drove towards the basket, and pulled up a jumper in the lane. Henderson's shot rattled-in, but not before St. Lawrence was called for a foul on the shot, giving the senior sharpshooter a chance at a three point play. Henderson converted the and-one opportunity, which cut the Saints' lead to just four points with 40 seconds to go.
 
Three seconds after the three point play, Henderson committed a personal foul that stopped the clock and sent Kyle Kobis to the line for a pair of shots. Kobis missed the first attempt, but drained the second one, as St. Lawrence clung to its five-point lead.
 
On the ensuing possession, Porrett made his way into the lane before trying to lay-in the ball. Unfortunately, his attempt was tightly contested and the shot would fall just short. Kobis collected the loose ball and was fouled. The Saints guard knocked down both attempts, which sealed St. Lawrence's 81-74 win.
 
Turning Point
The key to tonight's game was St. Lawrence's superiority on the glass. St. Lawrence outrebounded Elmira 35-24, including 13 offensive rebounds to EC's 11. The 11-rebound differential is the largest margin Elmira has faced this season and the fifth time they have been outrebounded. EC is 0-5 in those contests.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira went 25-for-57 (43.9%) from the field, while St. Lawrence was 25-of-54 (46.3%) from the floor.
• EC knocked down nine three points, six of which came in the first half.
• The Saints were 27-of-32 (84.4%) from the charity stripe while Elmira was 15-of-19 (78.9%).
• St. Lawrence owned a 35-to-24 advantage on the boards.
• Porrett led all scorers with 20 points.
• Porrett also shared the team-lead in rebounds and assists with six and five, respectively.
• Cesare shared the team-lead in rebounds with six.
• Henderson tied for the team-lead in assists with five.
• Abate finished with 12 points, Elmira's only other double-digit scorer.

 
News and Notes

• Porrett's 20 points ties his career-high.
• Abate's 12 points were also a career-best.
• Cesare's eight buckets and six rebounds are both season-highs.
• Elmira's 10 turnovers are a season-low, as were the team's 24 rebounds.
• EC's 15 makes from the free throw line ties the team's season-high.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles are back in action next Wednesday, December 9th, when Elmira travels to take on neighboring SUNY Cortland. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.