ALFRED, NY – After a 38-38 tie score at halftime, the host Alfred Saxons used a 35-8 run to start the second half in a 96-65 victory over Hartwick men's basketball Friday night at Terry S. Galanis Family Arena. The game marked the Hawks' Empire 8 Conference opener. They slip to 3-7 overall. The Saxons improve to 9-2 and 2-0 in E8 play.
The lead changed hands nine times and the score was tied on seven occasions in a back and forth first half of play. The Saxons, however, began the second half on a torrid pace, making 11 of their first 13 shots from the floor, including seven three-pointers, to build a 23-point, 67-44 advantage after only 6:16 elapsed in the half. Hartwick got no closer than 21 points the rest of the game.
Alfred would make 11 three-pointers and 65% of its attempts from downtown in the second half. They finished 14-of-26 (53.8%) from beyond the arc in the game and 35-of-62 (56.5%) from the floor. The Hawks were held to 33.9% (20-for-59) shooting and 26% (7-for-27) from three-point range.
Hartwick received a team-high 20 points from senior
Corey Baker (Granby, MA/Granby). He contributed three three-pointers and three steals in the contest.
Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) scored 10 points and added four rebounds and four assists.
Patrick Garey (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City) was also in double figures with 10 points to go along with four rebounds.
Kevin Townes (Lagrangeville, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) scored seven points and he tied for a team-best six boards.
Marc du Moulin (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) also had six rebounds.
Nick Schmidt hit 6-of-8 from three-point range to lead five Saxons in double figures with 22 points. Dalton Cousin contributed a double-double of 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sage Brown added 16 points and nine rebounds, Scotty Stopera netted 12 points and dished out a game-high six assists, and Dom LeMorta hit a trio of threes for to finish with 11 points.
Hartwick travels to Houghton on Saturday to meet the Highlanders at 2 p.m.
