ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's basketball team welcomes Alfred University to Speidel Gymnasium for an Empire 8 Conference bout on Tuesday, January 16. Tip-off for the league contest is slated for 6:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Soaring Eagles fell to Utica College in Empire 8 Conference action on Saturday afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center in Utica, New York. The contest was tightly contested for much of the first half, as Elmira trailed the Pioneers by a slim four-point margin, 33-29, with four minutes remaining in the opening half. From that point, however, Utica went on a 14-2 run that widened the Purple and Gold's halftime deficit to 16 points, 47-31. For the remainder of the bout, the Soaring Eagles would come as close as 11 points, 75-64, but it was not enough, as Elmira was resigned to take the 93-77 league loss. EC was led in the tilt by
Justin Porrett '19, who scored a team-high 19 points to go along with a game-high seven assists.
Jesse Adelson '20 finished next for the Purple and Gold with 16 points. Rounding out the Soaring Eagles' double-digit scorers was
Henry Cuffee '19, who tallied 12 points, hauled in five rebounds and posted three steals, which is a season high for the junior.
SOPHOMORE STANDOUT
Sophomore guard Adelson has really started to come into his own in his second collegiate season. The Closter, New Jersey, native has started the last two games for the Soaring Eagles and has scored double-digit points in the team's last three contests. Adelson is posting career highs across the board this season, as his minutes (21.6), points (11.1), rebounds (3.2) and assists per game (1.1) have all increased from his freshman campaign. His points-per-game average is particularly impressive, as it is more than double his average from last year. With this improved scoring, Adelson now ranks fourth on the team in points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series between the Soaring Eagles and Saxons remains one of the most tightly contested in the histories of these two programs. In 65 previous meetings between these two teams, Alfred owns a 33-32 advantage over Elmira, a lead it got by winning three-straight bouts in the series. EC last bested the Saxons on January 21, 2016, when the Soaring Eagles earned a 76-72 triumph at Speidel Gymnasium. Elmira has done better in its home tilts in the series, as EC has won three of their last five home games against Alfred.
SCOUTING ALFRED
Following two consecutive 10-win seasons, it has taken the Saxons just 14 games to reach that mark in 2017-18. Overall, Alfred's record stands at 10-4 and 3-2 in Empire 8 play. The Saxons are entering Tuesday's matchup coming off of a busy weekend in Rochester, New York, where they fell to Nazareth, 87-67, on Friday, before topping St. John Fisher by an 86-81 final score on Saturday. One of Alfred's main strengths this year has been its ability to clean the offensive glass, as the Saxons rank second in the league and 49th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (13.6). Leading this effort on the offensive boards is junior guard Sage Brown, who averages 4.1 offensive rebounds per game, which rank seventh in the country. The Saxons have employed a balanced offensive effort this year, as they have four different players that are averaging double-digit points. Pacing this group is senior guard Nick Schmidt, who is scoring 13.6 points per game. Rounding out Alfred's double-digit scorers are Dom LeMorta (12.6 ppg), Scotty Stoperam (12.1 ppg) and Brown (11.6 ppg). This efficient offensive attack is due in large part to the fact that the Saxons have employed the same starting five for all 14 games this season.
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles return to action on Tuesday, January 23, when Elmira welcomes Nazareth to Speidel Gymnasium for an E8 bout. The league tilt is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.
