Elmira College (3-15, 1-8 E8) at Stevens Institute of Technology (7-8, 3-4 E8)
Saturday, January 30, 2016 | 1:00 P.M. | Canavan Arena – Hoboken, NJ
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's basketball team closes out the month of January on Saturday when it heads to Hoboken, NJ, for a matinee battle with the Stevens Institute of Technology at 1:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira was unable to parlay its first Empire 8 Conference win into a streak, as the Soaring Eagles fell to Ithaca 80-64 at Speidel Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.  EC hung right with the Bombers through the opening 20 minutes, trailing by just five at the break. However, cold shooting doomed Elmira during the early portions of the second half, which Ithaca translated into a double-digit advantage. Despite a 24-point effort from Gino Leonardi '16, the Purple and Gold never closed within 10 the rest of the way.
 
E8 Rookie of the Week
For his efforts in Elmira's win over Alfred, rookie point guard Justin Porrett '19 was named the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Week. Porrett averaged 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists last week. The New Jersey native ranks third on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and leads the Soaring Eagles in rebounding (4.4). Although he had an off scoring night against the Bombers on Wednesday night, he pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Henderson Closing In
Sharp-shooter Justin Henderson '16 continues to hone in on Elmira's Top-10 list for career three-point baskets. The senior wing-man knocked down five more treys on Wednesday night against Ithaca to bring his career total to 112. It marked the fifth time this season he has poured in five or more triples in a game. Henderson now sits just 13 three-pointers behind David Nelson '10 (125) for 10th-place on the all-time list.
 
Leonardi On Fire
Gino Leonardi '16 continued his torrid rate of production in Wednesday night's contest against the Bombers. The senior point-man collected a team-high 24 points and four assists. It was the sixth 20-plus point performance of the season for the Spencer, NY, native, who upped his per game scoring average to 17.3 points. He currently ranks eighth in the Empire 8 Conference in scoring on the year, while he is sixth in per game average (17.7) within conference play. 
 
Lethal From Range
Hayden Harkins '18 continues to be one of the top three-point shooters in the Empire 8 and NCAA Division III basketball, entering the week ranked 15th in the nation in three-point makes per game (3.4). The second-year talent continued his sharp shooting from the perimeter with a 3-for-7 showing against the Bombers. With the effort, Harkins has made three-or-more triples in 13 of his 16 appearances this season.
 
All-Time Series
The Soaring Eagles ended a 15-game winless drought against Stevens by defeating the Ducks 67-64 on February 13, 2015, marking the first-ever win over Stevens since it joined the E8. The Purple and Gold nearly made it two-in-a-row in their conference opener earlier this month. Trailing the entire second half, Gino Leonardi '16 drained a buzzer-beating trey to force overtime, but the Ducks would edge the Soaring Eagles by one in the extra period, 95-94.
 
Scouting the Ducks
The Ducks are currently 7-8 overall and 3-4 inside Empire 8 play. Stevens has dropped two straight games and three of its last four, including an 84-74 loss to Nazareth College in its last outing. The Ducks host St. John Fisher College (12-4, 6-1 E8) at 4:00 p.m. on Friday before welcoming the Soaring Eagles Saturday afternoon. Although their defense is rather porous, the Ducks boast the E8's top offense and one of the best scoring machine's in the nation. Stevens ranks 12th in Division III in scoring offense (90.9 points per game), while they lead the country in assists per game (19.3). The Ducks are lethal from three-point range, averaging over 10 made triples per game and converting at a conference-leading rate of 38.4 percent from beyond the arc. Guards Evan Klimchak and Patrick Barron are fourth and fifth in the E8 with 19.1 and 18.7 points per game, respectively. Barron paces the league with 3.5 made threes per contest, and senior big-man Alex Lorenz is making a conference-high 64.1-percent of his field goals.
 
Looking Ahead
The Elmira men return for their final homestand of the season, which will begin next weekend. EC will celebrate its Class of 2016 with Senior Recognition Night when it welcomes Utica College for a 6:00 p.m. tip at Speidel Gymnasium on Friday, February 5^th. The following day will have a retro feel, as the Soaring Eagles take on Hartwick College at the Murray Athletic Center at 2:00 p.m. as part of Athletics Alumni Weekend.