HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Dylan Lambert sank 14-of-20 shots to finish with a career-high 34 points, leading the Houghton Highlanders past the Elmira Soaring Eagles on Tuesday night, 84-73.
 
Despite opening up a 25-point lead midway through the second half, the Highlanders found themselves battling to stay on top in the game's final minutes, as the Soaring Eagles, led by freshman Alex Ischiropoulos, buried a flurry of threes and layups.
 
As Elmira closed the gap, the Highlanders regained their composure down the stretch, sinking four clutch free throws in the game's final minute, to seal their second conference victory of the season and return to .500 overall.
 
Game Vitals
Score: Houghton – 84 | Elmira – 73
Records: Houghton: 7-7 (2-3 Empire 8) | Elmira: 2-11 (0-4 Empire 8)
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 237

Key Moments
>> With the game knotted at 16 midway through the first half, Highlander guard Mike Clark provided a much-needed spark, scoring 10 points in 10 minutes, including a stretch of nine straight points, and opening up a multitude of shots for his teammates.
 
From the start of Clark's first points, the Highlanders initiated an 18-2 run to settle into a commanding lead.
 
>> Inside of 13 minutes, the Highlanders stretched their lead to 25 points, thanks to a 10-0 run capped by a strong inside move by senior Johnathan Stowe.
 
>> Immediately following Stowe's basket, Ischiropoulos got hot, hitting three consecutive threes, and nailing all six that he lofted over the final 10 minutes.
 
With less than a minute to play, the Soaring Eagles trimmed the lead to nine on a three by Kyle McCreery. 
 
Clutch free throws by Lambert and John Nelson, and the ability to keep the ball away from the defense over the final seconds, secured the win for Houghton.
 
Key Stats
>> Houghton committed only seven turnovers the entire game, and blocked nine Elmira shots.

>> The Highlanders shot an impressive 20-of-30 (67 percent) in the first half, and sank 14-of-16 free throws (88 percent) in the second half.

>> Clark finished his night with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Phil Pellegrino added 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
>> Stowe, despite only scoring seven points, proved a terror in the paint, collecting 12 rebounds and blocking four shots.
 
>> Ischiropoulos finished with 21 points, 18 of which came in the second half, and Justin Porrett added 23 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Coach's Corner
"I thought we had really good harmony the first half.  We willed our personality on them, offensively especially; we made them play our game.
 
"Stowe, again, was a monster on the glass.  Jordan [Scott] and John [Nelson] do all of the little things that don't show up in the box score, but they make a huge difference for our team.
 
"Mike [Clark] was a great spark off the bench.  We were kind of stagnant until he went in.  He's like a stick of dynamite.
 
"Dylan knows his role, stays in role, excels in his role… and that's why he's a joy to coach.
 
"We got a little hairy down the stretch and they executed well, hitting some threes, but we kept our composure against their pressure.  We also only turned the ball over seven times.  That's how you win basketball games." –Coach Corky McMullen
 
Next Time Out
The Highlanders return to action on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. when they host the Ithaca College Bombers at the Nielsen Center.