Elmira College (2-14, 0-7 Empire 8) vs. Alfred University (7-8, 3-3 Empire 8)
Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 6:00 P.M. | Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's basketball team returns home following a four-game swing when it welcomes Alfred University to Speidel Gymnasium on Thursday, January 21^st. Opening tip with the Saxons is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira concluded its season-long four-game road swing through Empire 8 Conference play on Tuesday evening, falling at Houghton College 74-64. The teams were tied at 25 at halftime and continued to trade buckets over the opening three minutes of the second session. With the score knotted at 33-33, the Highlanders went on a 7-0 run to gain some separation. The Soaring Eagles were unable to get any closer than three points the rest of the way. Gino Leonardi '16 poured in a game-high 23 points in the defeat.
 
Leonardi Continues to Deliver
Gino Leonardi '16 continued his excellent senior campaign on Tuesday evening, scoring a game-high 23 points in the loss. He has already surpassed his previous career single-game scoring high seven times this season, while he has netted 20-plus points in five games this season. The Elmira trigger man ranks ninth in the Empire 8 Conference in scoring at 16.7 points per game.
 
Porrett Back On Track
Justin Porrett '19 has been a big part of the Elmira backcourt during his rookie campaign. After hitting a rough scoring spell over a five-game stretch around winter break, he has rediscovered his shooting stroke over the last four games. The Dumont, NJ, native collected 14 points on Tuesday night against Houghton and is averaging 11.0 points and 4.5 assists per game over the recent four-game stretch.
 
Henderson Closes In On Top-10 Mark
After knocking down six triples against Hartwick College over the weekend to hit the century mark for career three-pointers, Justin Henderson '16 continued to inch closer to cracking the program's all-time Top-10 list for career threes. The senior sharp shooter knocked down 3-of-6 from beyond the arc to up his career total to 103. He is within 25 makes of tying David Nelson '10 for 10th all-time.  
 
Hitting the Glass
Elmira has struggled controlling the glass during conference play this season, an issue which was a big contributing factor in EC's most recent loss at Houghton on Tuesday. The Soaring Eagles were outrebounded 47-to-30 in the game, while they allowed a season-high 17 offensive boards to the Highlanders. EC has been outrebounded in six of its seven conference games this season, while its minus-7.0 rebounding margin during league play ranks at the bottom of the conference charts. Elmira will face another tough test on the boards this Thursday, as Alfred ranks third in conference play averaging 11.7 offensive rebounds per game.
 
All-Time Series
The series between Elmira and Alfred is split almost right down the middle, as EC holds a slim 31-30 edge over its E8 rival. The Saxons have held the upper hand in recent seasons, taking seven of the 10 matchups over the last five seasons. The Soaring Eagles posted a 3-2 record at Speidel Gymnasium during that stretch.
 
Scouting the Saxons
Alfred University has been an up-and-down team this season, entering Thursday night's contest with a 7-8 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Empire 8 play. The Saxons got off to a strong 2-1 start at home to begin conference play, but dropped their first two road contests in league play to St. John Fisher College and Hartwick College. Alfred bounced back with a strong performance on Saturday, scoring an 81-77 victory over Stevens, which snapped the two-game skid. The Saxons' backcourt is led by junior sharp shooter Tyler Seelman, who ranks sixth in the league in scoring at 18.5 points per game. His 47 three-point makes rank fourth in the conference, while his 87.0-percent mark from the free-throw line is tied for second best in the E8 this season. The frontcourt tandem of Dalton Cousin and Eric Adams should provide a stern test as well. Cousin is second on the team with an 11.8 points per game mark, while Adams averages just shy of a double-double with 9.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
 
Looking Ahead
The Soaring Eagles return to action on Wednesday, January 27^th, when they welcome Ithaca College to Speidel Gymnasium for a 6:00 p.m. tip.