Elmira, N.Y. – The Elmira College Soaring Eagles men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season on Friday evening, traveling to Waynesburg University for a non-conference matchup. The Soaring Eagles put together a strong second-half performance, scoring 44 points after the break and cutting the deficit to as few as six points, but ultimately fell to the Yellow Jackets, 77-66.
LEADERS
Offensively, Gustavo Coutinto led the way for Elmira with 26 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and a perfect 11-of-12 at the free throw line.
Mason Fritz added 13 points, including three three-pointers, while collecting five rebounds.
Dimitris Olympios finished with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Nate Aviles contributed a team-high four steals.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Waynesburg opened the scoring with a jumper on its first possession. Olympios answered with a free throw before Fritz converted a layup to give the Soaring Eagles their first lead of the contest (3-2). Olympios followed with a jumper, seeing Coutinto add a dunk to cap off an early scoring run. Ethan Ilyas connected from beyond the arc, extending the Elmira advantage to 10-2. The Yellow Jackets responded with back-to-back three-pointers before putting together a lengthy scoring run to take control of the opening half. Coutinto ended the scoring drought at the free throw line, knocking down a pair of shots (24-12). Coutinto added another layup before converting two more free throws while Fritz followed with a pair of free throws of his own. Coutinto connected from beyond the arc to bring the Elmira deficit back to single digits. But no before Waynesburg answered with a late scoring push to take a 35-22 advantage into halftime.
The Soaring Eagles opened the second half with a layup from Coutinto before Fritz connected on a three-pointer (37-27). Coutinto continued to find his rhythm, adding a pair of free throws and another layup as Elmira looked to build momentum. Fritz knocked down another three, while Ilyas added a layup and Aviles converted at the free throw line. Aviles connected from beyond the arc before Ilyas knocked down a pair of free throws. Karkari-Mensah followed with two free throws of his own, while Aviles added another pair to bring the Soaring Eagles within twelve (49-37). Coutinto knocked down four consecutive free throws, cutting the deficit to eight before Olympios added a layup, and Coutinto followed with another pair of free throws to make it a six-point game at 56-62. Coutinto added another layup before Ilyas converted two free throws, keeping the Soaring Eagles within striking distance (68-60). Olympios knocked down two free throws, and Fritz connected on a three-pointer with 1:52 remaining to bring Elmira within six (65-71). The Yellow Jackets converted their opportunities at the free throw line down the stretch, eventually securing the 77-66 victory.
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles remain in Waynesburg, PA for their second matchup of the Waynesburg Tip-Off Tournament against Misericordia University. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 PM.
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