UTICA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's basketball team finished the 2021 regular-season slate with an 84-53 Empire 8 Conference loss against Utica College on Thursday.

Despite the loss, Elmira (1-9, 1-9 E8) will now turn its attention to the 2021 Empire 8 Championships. As the sixth seed, the Soaring Eagles will travel to third-seeded Nazareth College on Tuesday, April 6, for the first round of the conference tournament.

Senior forward Shawn Backus '21 scored a team-high 12 points in only 18 minutes of action against the Pioneers (8-2, 8-2 E8). The Hamden, Connecticut, native was incredibly efficient, as he shot 71.4% overall (5-of-7) and was a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Backus also added two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Nine other Soaring Eagles scored at least two points. Junior forward Rashaad Nurse '22 contributed nine points with four rebounds. Second-year guard Blake Arlington '23 and freshman Michael Zaragoza Jr. '24 each buried two 3-pointers for a career-high six points. Another rookie, William Tawamba '24, netted the first five points of his collegiate career in his second outing of the season. First-year guard Dylan Jacob '24 recorded three points and two assists in a season-high minute minutes off the bench, too.

News and Notes

• As a team, Elmira finished with a season-high eight treys against the Pioneers.
• Backus, Arlington, and Zaragoza each made a pair of 3-point field goals against Utica on Thursday.
• EC posted double-digit assists for the sixth time this season and finished one shy of the team's season-high.
• Backus reached double figures for the fifth time in 10 games this season.
• Backus' 71.4 field-goal percentage is his highest since making 9-of-10 shots (90.0%) against Hartwick as a sophomore on January 18, 2019.
• Arlington, Zaragoza, Tawamba, and Jacob finished with career-high point totals.

Up Next
On Tuesday, April 6, the sixth-seeded Soaring Eagles will return to the site of the 2021 season opener for a rematch against the No. 3 seed, Nazareth College. More information about the first round of the Empire 8 Championships, including a tip-off time between Elmira and Naz, will be announced in the coming days.