Elmira College (4-17, 2-10 Empire 8) vs. Houghton College (9-11, 4-8 Empire 8)
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 | 6:00 P.M. | Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
 
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's basketball team wraps up its home slate with the final game of the season at Speidel Gymnasium on Tuesday evening. The Soaring Eagles will welcome Houghton College with the opening tip scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira suffered back-to-back losses last weekend, dropping conference games to Utica College and Hartwick College. The Soaring Eagles were on the wrong end of a last-second buzzer-beater last Friday, as Utica's Robert Tutein heaved a desperation three as the horn sounded to lift the Pioneers to a 75-74 win. Prior to Tutein's game-winning shot, rookie Justin Porrett '19 put Elmira on top by two points with a layup through traffic with his off-hand with 1.3 seconds in regulation. The following afternoon's contest was not as close, as Hartwick utilized its size and three-point precision to claim a double-digit victory. Porrett and Gino Leonardi '16 paced the Soaring Eagles with 17 points apiece against the Hawks.
 
Career Day for Porrett
Justin Porrett '19 is quickly making a name for himself around the league. The rookie guard from Dumont, NJ, has had a phenomenal freshman campaign, which he continued over the weekend. Porrett dropped a career-high 24 points against Utica and logged another 17 points against Hartwick the following afternoon. Porrett's 24 points are the most scored by an Elmira freshman in over 14 seasons.
 
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 120 made three-pointers for his career, eight shy of moving into a two-way tie for 10th place. Harkins on the other hand has 63 treys this season, just three makes away from moving into a three-way tie for ninth place in single-season program history.
 
Top-30 for Harkins
Hayden Harkins '18 continues to rank among the nation's best in terms of distance shooting. He has knocked down shots from beyond the arc at a 43.4-percent clip this season, which is good for the 29th best mark in the country. 
 
Rookie Three-Peat
Porrett continues to stamp himself in the discussion for the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year discussion 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 virtuose 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.
 
Series History
Elmira and Houghton have played their fair share of games over the years, 40 to be exact. The Soaring Eagles own a decisive 34-6 advantage in the all-time series, but the Highlanders own the most recent win, a 74-64 victory that occurred earlier this season.
 
Scouting Houghton
With four conference games remaining on its schedule, Houghton College is still in contention for its first Empire 8 Conference Tournament berth. The Highlanders are one win away from moving into a virtual tie for fourth place in the conference standings with a 4-8 E8 record. Last time out, Houghton registered a 10-point win at home against Utica, which snapped a three-game skid and secured a regular season series sweep of the Pioneers. One area the Highlanders have excelled at this year has been on the boards, especially on the offensive glass. Houghton ranks first in the E8 in rebounding, averaging 44.6 boards per contest, and is also tops in offensive rebounding with 16.1 per game. Rochester, NY, native and Alfred University transfer, Phil Pellegrino, is Houghton's go-to guy on offense with a team-leading 14.9 points per game. Most of Pellegrino's damage has been done from three-point range, as 55.4-percent of his scoring has come from distance.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira hits the road for a weekend set in Rochester, NY, on Friday, February 12^th, and Saturday, February 13^th. The Soaring Eagles will faceoff with the Cardinals of St. John Fisher College at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The road swing continues a few miles away the following day, as EC tips off with Nazareth College at 2:00 p.m.