HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Despite a strong shooting performance from the field, Houghton men's basketball came up short against Alfred, 85-72, at the Nielsen Center on Thursday night.

The teams traded baskets for much of the first half, with each team gaining four-point leads over the first 10 minutes. The Saxons used a 6-0 run to take a five-point advantage with just over five minutes to go in the half, but the Highlanders responded with a 12-6 run to regain a one-point edge. The visitors closed the half on a 6-2 run to take a 43-40 lead into the locker room.

The Saxons maintained the momentum in the early minutes of the second half, stretching the lead to 58-46. They extended the lead to 16 points (70-54) with 7:47 left for their largest advantage of the contest. The Highlanders would come no closer than nine points down the stretch.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 72 | Alfred – 85
Records: Houghton: 1-7 (1-7 Empire 8) | Alfred: 5-2 (5-2 Empire 8)
Venue: Nielsen Center | Houghton, N.Y. | Attendance: 0

NOTABLE STATS
>> Fresh off reaching his 1000th career point earlier in the week, Jordan Holmes led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. Holmes added four rebounds and four assists and hit four three pointers
>> Reece Gustafson and Billy McCrae contributed 12 points apiece, with Gustafson connecting on 4-of-5 from long range. McCrae led the team with six rebounds.
>> Brijon Warren was the fourth Highlander in double figures, finishing with 10 points
>> Jarret McCarley had a team-high five assists
>> The Highlanders shot 50 percent from the field, while the Saxons hit on 48 percent of their field goal attempts 

UP NEXT
The Highlanders are back in action when they travel to take on Keuka on Monday, March 29 at 7 p.m.