Elmira College (4-18, 2-11 Empire 8) at St. John Fisher College (16-5, 10-2 Empire 8)
Friday, February 12, 2016 | 6:00 P.M. | Manning & Napier Varsity Gym – Rochester, NY
 
Elmira College (4-18, 2-11 Empire 8) at Nazareth College (13-8, 9-3 Empire 8)
Saturday, February 13, 2016 | 2:00 P.M. | Kidera Gymnasium – Rochester, NY
 
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's basketball team heads to Rochester, NY, for a weekend back-to-back against St. John Fisher College and Nazareth College. The Soaring Eagles open the two-game set on Friday, February 12^th, with a 6:00 p.m. tip against Cardinals. EC returns to action the following afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. tip-off against the Golden Flyers.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira came up short in its final home game of the year on Tuesday evening, falling to Houghton College 80-67. With EC leading by a single point with 4:45 left in the opening half, the Highlanders strung the first run for either team in the game. Houghton put  the together a 15-3 spurt stretching the remainder of the half and the opening possession of the second half, creating an 11-point gap. Elmira was unable to draw any closer than six the rest of the game. Gino Leonardi '16 finished with a team-high 19 points in his final game at Speidel Gymnasium.
 
Record Book Watch
Three-point marksmen Justin Henderson '16 and Hayden Harkins '18 could etch their names into the EC record books before the season is over. Henderson sits on 121 made three-pointers for his career, seven shy of moving into a two-way tie for 10th place. Harkins on the other hand has 64 treys this season, just two makes away from moving into a three-way tie for ninth place in single-season program history.
 
Rookie Three-Peat
Porrett continues to stamp himself in the discussion for the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year as the season winds down the final stretch. He was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Week for the third time this season this past Monday, this coming after his virtuoso performances against Utica and Hartwick. Only Peter Ezema (four) of Ithaca College has earned the accolade more this season.
 
Henderson Finalist for 2016 GEICO Play of the Year
Henderson and the Elmira men's basketball program received more great news on Monday, as it was revealed that his game-winning three-quarter court buzzer beater against Endicott (12/30) has moved on to the final round of selection for the 2016 GEICO Play of the Year. The winner will be revealed during CBS' Best of College Basketball special at 12:00 p.m. EST on March 27th.
 
Bischoff Nets Career High
Second-year swing-man Paul Bischoff '18 has seen intermittment stretches of playing time off the bench this season. He had a career-night against Houghton on Tuesday evening. Entering the game with EC trailing in the midway through the second half, Bischoff sparked an Elmira run with buckets on three consecutive possessions, including his first career three-pointer. His seven points on the night marked a career high.
 
Series History: St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher owns a decisive 51-14 edge in the all-time series and has won 26 straight entering tonight's contest. The Cardinals secured the matchup played earlier this season with a 71-58 win at Speidel Gymnasium. Elmira's last victory dates back to the 2001-02 season, when the Soaring Eagles claimed a 75-61 decision.
 
Scouting St. John Fisher
The Cardinals once again sit near the top of the Empire 8 Conference standings, as the regular season nears its conclusion. St. John Fisher enters the weekend with a 16-5 overall record and a 10-2 mark in conference play. The Cardinals have been strong in their sprint to the finish, riding a four-game winning streak into Friday's matchup. Offense has aided the recent winning spell, as the team has averaged 89.0 points per game. St. John Fisher has filtered its offense through the excellent post play of Keegan Ryan, who is tied for seventh in league scoring at 17.4 points per game. Tyler Hart paces the league on the outside in terms of three-point shooting percentage, converting treys at a 43.5-percent (37-for-85) clip.
 
Series History: Nazareth
Elmira and Nazareth have faced each other 61 times dating back to their first meeting in 1978-79. The Golden Flyers have enjoyed their fair share of success in those matchups with a 41-20 record, including an 85-47 victory earlier this season at Speidel Gymnasium.
 
Scouting Nazareth
Things do not get any easier for Elmira on Saturday, as the team heads just down the road to face third-place Nazareth College. The Golden Flyers have posted another fine season with a 13-8 overall record and a 9-3 mark in conference play. Naz had been humming along in first-place of the league until this past weekend when the Golden Flyers were swept in a weekend set against St. John Fisher and Hartwick College. Mitch Ford continues to be the focal point of the Naz offense, as he paces the league in scoring at 23.3 points per game. The senior forward averages a double-double, also pulling down a conference-leading 11.6 rebounds per contest. Classmate Maurice Mills has formed a strong tandem with Ford down low, as he averages 12.5 points per game, while he ranks third in the conference in field-goal percentage at 56.4-percent. Tyler Stenglein is Nazareth's go-to option in the backcourt, sitting in a tie for 12th in the conference in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira concludes its season on Saturday, February 20^th, with a 2:00 p.m. tip at Alfred University.