SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The Elmira College men's basketball team returned to the hardwood following a two-week break on Sunday evening at the 2019 Kiwanis Holiday Classic, where the Soaring Eagles fell to No. 3 nationally-ranked Wittenberg University by a final score of 81-51.

Facing a top-five ranked program for the second time this season, Elmira (0-8) held the Tigers (9-0) to a 42.6 field-goal percentage and a 20.7 3-point shooting percentage, the lowest rates allowed by the EC defense this season. However, the Soaring Eagles converted just 31.7 percent of their shots from the floor, making 19-of-60 overall.

While Wittenberg pulled away in the second half and put the game out of Elmira's reach, the Purple and Gold were able to frustrate the Tigers on multiple occasions to keep the first half within 11 points at the break, 36-25, thanks in large part to a noteworthy start from third-year guard Mason Weir '21. Weir led the team with 12 points, all in the first half, and was tied for the team lead with five rebounds in the game.

The Soaring Eagles played a scrappy first half against the No. 3-ranked team in the country despite a 9-0 run by the Tigers to open the contest. Elmira pieced together a pair of five-point runs, both of which featured 3-point field goals Weir. Trailing 15-5, Weir produced five unanswered points to bring the Soaring Eagles back within five at 15-10.

After a quicker breather, the junior from Laurens, New York, returned to the floor late in the half with EC down by 12 and made two additional buckets to lift his point total to a team-high 12 in the half and reduce the gap back to single digits. However, a last-second and-one by Wittenberg's James Johnson put the hosts back up by double digits heading into the break.

The Tigers began the second half much like the first, outscoring EC 12-2 across the first six-plus minutes to extend their advantage to 48-27. But the Soaring Eagles received some late life off of the bench from first-year players David Kruis '23 and Jeff Jung Jr. '23. Kruis poured in seven points in just eight minutes and Jung added five, and both freshmen made one trey.

News and Notes

• After facing No. 4-ranked Amherst College on November 22, the Soaring Eagles battled another ranked opponent in No. 3 Wittenberg on Sunday evening.
• Weir reached double-digit points for the third time in his last four games with a team-high 12 against the Tigers.
• Jeremy Every '20 netted a season-high eight points, including a 4-for-4 effort from the charity stripe.
• Kruis produced a season-high seven points in the second half.
• In his third collegiate game, Jung scored the first five points of his career.

Up Next
The consolation round of the 2019 Kiwanis Holiday Classic on Monday, December 30, will feature the Soaring Eagles of Elmira and the Eagles from Spalding University. Tip-off between the feathered foes is set for 2:15 p.m. inside Wittenberg's Pam Evans Smith Arena.