Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's basketball team looks to end their four-game losing streak when they take on Fredonia State tonight at 7:00 p.m. Tonight's road non-conference game is the final non-Empire 8 game of the season for EC.
Last Time OutThe Soaring Eagles dropped to 6-11 on the season after falling to Utica College and SUNY Cortland on January 23rd and 24th. A late Utica run sealed EC's 78-59 defeat and a split of the season series on Friday, while SUNY Cortland withstood a valiant effort from the Purple and Gold to pull out the 54-43 win at Speidel Gymnasium.
Defense Steps UpEC may have fallen to SUNY Cortland, but their defense kept them within reach of the Red Dragons for nearly the entire duration of the game. The Soaring Eagles held Cortland to nearly 20 points below their season average and limited their top two scorers, who entered the game averaging a combined 29.0 points per game, to just 10 points and 20 percent shooting on the evening.
All-Time vs. FredoniaTonight's contest marks the fifth consecutive meeting, and 16th overall, between Elmira and Fredonia State. The Soaring Eagles hold a 9-6 advantage in the all-time series after defeating the Blue Devils last season, a win that snapped EC's three-game losing streak to Fredonia.
A Look at the Blue DevilsFredonia State saw their 13-game losing streak come to an end at SUNY Potsdam Friday night, edging the Bears, 65-57. Overall, the Blue Devils stand at 2-15 on the season and 1-11 in SUNYAC play. Fredonia has one player averaging double-digit points in Ian Helps and two others, Kyree Hull and Robert Lyles, close behind. Helps is averaging team-highs of 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 54.7 percent from the floor. Hull is averaging 9.4 points per game while Lyles is contributing 8.6 points and a team-best 2.8 assists per game.
