Score: Stevens Institute of Technology 89, Elmira College 64
Record: Stevens (7-3, 1-0 E8), Elmira (2-8, 0-1 E8)
Location: Harwood Arena -- Union, N.J.

UNION, N.J. -- The Elmira College men's basketball team was unable to build off of a red-hot start in its Empire 8 Conference opener on Wednesday against the Stevens Institute of Technology, as the Ducks erased an early deficit and cruised to an 89-64 victory. The game, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday night, was played at Kean University's Harwood Arena due to a water main break on Stevens' campus.

The Soaring Eagles opened the game by making six of their first 10 field goals, resulting in a 14-7 lead within the first five-and-a-half minutes. Justin Porrett '19 and Henry Cuffee '19 combined to score EC's first two baskets on the fast break, with the game's first two points coming after Cuffee blocked a Stevens 3-point attempt before feeding the ball to Porrett for the score.

Up by one, 6-5, Mason Weir '21 and Hayden Harkins '18 buried back-to-back 3-point field goals in a span of 30 seconds to increase the cushion to seven points at 12-5. Jesse Adelson '20 then picked up the first two of his team-high 14 points a little over a minute later to preserve the seven-point advantage at 14-7.

From there, however, Stevens went on a 24-4 run over the next 10 minutes and took a lead it would never relinquish. The rally was spurred by a trio of 3-pointers, including a trey from JoJo Mosca that knotted the score at 14-all, and an unconventional three-point play recorded by Michael Zignorski 1:11 later that put the Ducks up, 17-14.

Stevens, which led 39-27 at the half, finished the game by shooting 44.4 percent (16-of-36) from the field and 82.4 percent (14-of-17) from the foul line, whereas the Soaring Eagles posted a 31.6 percent (12-of-38) field-goal percentage and shot at a 78.6 percent clip (11-of-14) from the line in the final 20 minutes of play. Adelson highlighted Elmira's second-half performance by scoring 12 points and hauling in five rebounds in the period. Jeremy Every '20, who finished second on the team with 13 points, picked up nine of those in the second half as well.

News and Notes

• Elmira falls to 2-8 overall and 0-1 inside Empire 8 play this season, while the Ducks improved to 7-3 and 1-0 in conference.
• EC recorded season lows for both field-goal (31.9) and 3-point percentages (20.0).
• The Soaring Eagles were out-rebounded by one, but managed to secure a season-high 46 boards.
• Adelson reached double-digit points for the sixth time in his sophomore campaign.
• Every scored in double figures for the fifth time this season.
• Since November 21 against Penn College, Every has converted 14 consecutive foul shots.
• Weir registered season highs for points (9) and rebounds (4) in a season-best 22 minutes of action.
• Cuffee blocked two more shots against Stevens and leads the team with 17 on the year, just one shy of his single-season career high.

Up Next
Elmira will continue conference play on Thursday, January 4, when the Soaring Eagles return home to Speidel Gymnasium to host the Cardinals of St. John Fisher College. The Empire 8 bout will begin at 6:00 p.m.