ELMIRA, NY – The Elmira College Soaring Eagles mounted an incredible second-half comeback, erasing a 22-point halftime deficit to defeat Alfred University, 78-75, on Saturday evening at Speidel Gymnasium. The Soaring Eagles outscored the Saxons 52-27 after the break to pick up the conference win.

JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 78, Alfred 75
LOCATION: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
RECORDS: Elmira (7-15, 3-10 Empire 8), Alfred (11-11, 7-6 Empire 8)

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game looked out of reach for Elmira at halftime, as Alfred exploded for 48 first-half points behind 54.3% shooting from the field and 40% from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Soaring Eagles struggled to find their rhythm, shooting 32% in the opening 20 minutes and trailing by 22 (48-26) at halftime.

However, Elmira flipped the script in the second half with a dominant offensive and defensive performance. The Soaring Eagles shot 57.1% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range, while limiting Alfred to just 34.6% shooting. Elmira took control down the stretch, outscoring Alfred 16-6 at the free-throw line in the second half to complete the stunning comeback.

A clutch free throw by Kelton Brown '28 with under a minute remaining helped Elmira take the lead for good, and the defense came up big in the final seconds to secure the victory.

Kelton Brown '26 led the charge with 23 points, five rebounds, and 11-of-12 free throw shooting. Tyler Cardello '25 also added 13 points and knocked down a key three-pointer in the second half.

Elmira dominated the free-throw line, converting 25-of-30 (83.3%), compared to Alfred's 8-of-13 (61.5%). The Soaring Eagles also won the rebounding battle (38-32) and scored 36 points in the paint.

UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles are home next weekend for a matchup against Utica on Friday at 7:30 p.m. as they continue their push in the Empire 8 standings.