ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Shawn Backus '21 led all scorers with 20 points on Tuesday evening as the Elmira College men's basketball team provided Hamilton College with a valiant battle in a 72-60 loss inside Speidel Gymnasium.

Backus reached 20 points for a second consecutive game by shooting 9-of-18 (50.0%), just a hair above the 48.1 field-goal percentage logged by Elmira (1-15). That rate ranks as the team's second-best of the season, two-tenths of a percent shy EC's single-game high from November 30 against Hilbert.

Hamilton (12-5), which entered tonight's contest ranked 24th in Division III in scoring offense with 84.0 points per game and 10th in rebounds with an average of 44.5, tied a season low for points and was held to a season-worst 30 rebounds, but narrowly edged EC in field-goal percentage by converting at a rate of 49.1%. Former All-American Kena Gilmour was the top point-getter for the Continentals, but even the 6-foot-4-inch senior was held below his season average with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting (50.0%).

The Purple and Gold caught Hamilton on its heels early in the first half, as the Soaring Eagles pieced together a 7-2 run to break an 8-all stalemate. Brendan Hyde '22 had a hand in five of those points. He scored a pair with a layup before assisting on a Backus trey 64 seconds later that put EC up 15-10. The lead remained at five, 17-12, with under nine minutes to play in the half, but the visitors closed on a 24-6 run and led at the break, 36-23.

Down as many as 15 in the second half, Elmira nearly came all the way back to level the score. The Soaring Eagles went on an 11-0 run over a span of 3:15 to slash a 44-29 deficit to a mere four points. During the stretch, which was sparked by a Harry Ravitz '23 elbow 3-pointer, the EC defense forced a pair of turnovers and held the Continentals without a bucket on three contested attempts. Hyde drained a baseline jumper at the 14:00 mark, and 30 seconds later, Backus blew past his defender and laid the ball off the glass, closing the gap at 44-40.

Midway through the second half, Elmira went on another run and came within two points of the Continentals on two occasions. Mason Weir '21 used a highlight-reel effort to haul in not one, but two offensive boards and nail a fadeaway shot, which reduced the deficit to 54-52. That was as close as the Soaring Eagles would come, however. Hamilton righted its ship with the next nine points and kept the lead in double figures for the majority of the final four-and-a-half minutes.

News and Notes

• Elmira shot 48.1% from the field, a fraction of a percent shy of the team's season-high of 48.3%.
• The 72 points allowed are tied for the fewest scored by the Continentals in a game in 2019-20.
• Backus netted 20-or-more points for the second consecutive game and has reached double-digits in seven of his last eight games.
• Nurse extended his streak of double-digit performances to six in a row with 10 points.
• Sophomore point guard Kyle Kokoskie '22 dished out a team-high six dimes.
• Joseph Amoddio '21 made his fourth consecutive start and secured a season-high eight rebounds.
• Jesse Adelson '20 netted six points, all from 3-point range, as he logged multiple treys for the seventh time as a senior.

Up Next
Empire 8 Conference play resumes on the road in Rochester, New York, as the Elmira men are set for a weekend trip to the Flower City on Friday, January 24, and Saturday, January 25. Friday night's tilt at St. John Fisher College begins with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.