Score: Nazareth College 80, Elmira College 71
Records: Nazareth (15-7, 9-4 E8), Elmira (3-19, 1-12 E8)
Location: Rochester, N.Y. - Kidera Gymnasium

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's basketball team went blow-for-blow with Nazareth College in the first half of Thursday night's Empire 8 Conference contest, but the host Golden Flyers pulled away in the second half and held on for an 80-71 victory.

The sharpshooting efforts of junior Hayden Harkins '18 helped the Soaring Eagles recover from a sloppy start in the first five minutes of the opening half. EC began the game shooting 0-for-5 from the field with a trio of turnovers, while the Golden Flyers built a 9-0 lead.

After Head Coach Randie Torgalski subbed into an entirely new lineup, the rejuvenated Soaring Eagles went on an 8-0 run of their own, which was sparked by a pair of 3-pointers from Harkins. The Tampa, Florida, native drained another shot from beyond the arc at the 12:15 mark to once again bring the Purple and Gold within one, this time at 14-13. On the ensuing possession, Matt Davis '17 deposited a layup to give the Soaring Eagles their only lead of the first half, 15-14.

Over the course of the next seven minutes, the two teams traded buckets. Each time Naz pulled ahead, EC would answer to make it a one-possession game. Down 31-26, Davis and Harkins pieced together a 5-0 Elmira run to knot the game, with the latter netting the tying points on his fourth 3-point make of the first half. The score remained even at 33- and 35-all, but Brendan Wind gave the Golden Flyers the lead heading into the break with a shot-clock beating layup inside the final minute.

Justin Porrett '19 scored the first two of his 20 second-half points to keep the margin at two points, 39-37, just 1:16 into the period. However, that would be the closest the Soaring Eagles would come to the lead for the remainder of the contest. Following a pair of Porrett free throws, which made the score 49-44 in favor of Naz, the Golden Flyers went on an 8-0 run to extend the advantage to 13 points. Davis halted the spurt with a 3-pointer, but the hosts would climb ahead by as many as 16 points in the second half.

Turning Point
Across the board, Elmira's shooting percentages dropped in the second half, but the offense had the opportunity to make up for those woes from the foul line. EC registered a season high for free throw attempts and tied its season best in makes, but that only resulted in a 19-for-31 effort (61.3 percent). The Soaring Eagles had 23 total attempts in the second half and could have kept up with the Golden Flyers with a strong showing from the charity stripe, but converted at a rate of 60.9 percent (14-for-23). On the other hand, Nazareth, led by a 16-for-18 effort from Wind, finished the game 25-for-28.

Inside the Box Score

• Elmira made 25-of-53 attempts from the floor, equaling a 43.4 field goal percentage.
• After starting the game 4-for-5 from 3-point range in the first half, EC finished just 6-for-13.
• Nazareth made 25-of-51 shots for a 49.0 field goal percentage.
• The Golden Flyers out-rebounded Elmira, 34-32.
• Naz also held a considerable margin in blocked shots, 7-to-1.
• EC held a slim advantage in steals, 6-to-5.
• Porrett paced the Purple and Gold with 23 points, 20 of which came in the second half.
• Porrett added five assists, four rebounds, and four steals to his totals.
• Davis scored 13 points and collected a game-high-tying eight rebounds.
• Harkins finished with 12 points on a 4-for-6 effort from 3-point range.
• Without leading scorer Tyler Stenglein in the lineup for the Golden Flyers, Wind picked up the slack with a career-high 38 points.
• Wind was 11-for-19 from the floor and 16-for-18 from the foul line, and also dished out eight assists.
• Jake Burgio had 15 points and eight boards.

News and Notes

• Elmira is now 3-19 on the season and 1-12 against E8 competition.
• EC recorded season highs in free throw attempts (31) and tied its best with 19 makes.
• Porrett tied his previous season high with 23 points, just one shy of his career high.
• Porrett's four steals are a single-game best for the sophomore this season.
• Davis scored double-digits for the fourth time this season.
• Harkins reached double figures for the 10th time this season.
• Harkins has finished with 3-or-more treys on 11 occasions in his junior campaign.
• Alex Rosen '19 netted a career-high five points

Up Next
Elmira returns to Speidel Gymnasium for the 2016-17 home finale on Tuesday, February 14th. The Soaring Eagles will tip off against the Saxons of Alfred University in Empire 8 Conference action at 8:00 p.m.