HOUGHTON, NY – For the fifth time in a row, the Alfred State Pioneers defeated the Houghton Highlanders in the closing seconds of a seesaw game, pulling out an 83-79 victory.
 
With 14 seconds remaining in the game, and Houghton trailing by two points, Luke Cole grabbed an errant three-point attempt by the Pioneers, giving the Highlanders one final shot. 
 
After an errant pass, the Highlanders missed a three of their own, which the Pioneers tapped ahead to Paris Jamison, who sealed the game with a layup as the buzzer sounded.
 
 Jajuan Preaster turned in a career-game for the Highlanders, going 16-of-26 from the floor to score a career-high 32 points.  He also pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds, while adding three steals.
 
The past five contests between the Pioneers and Highlanders have all been decided by four points or less, all coming down to the final seconds, and all five have been won by Alfred State.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 79 | Alfred State – 83
Records: Houghton: 0-4 | Alfred State: 2-2
Venue: The Orvis Center, Alfred State College | Attendance: 206

NOTABLE STATS
>> Esafe Taufahema picked up his second consecutive double-double, scoring 10 points and adding 10 rebounds. 
 
>> David Rosa went 6-for-11 from the floor, posting 16 points, three assists and three steals, while teammate Daniel Rosario scored a career-high 11 points for the Highlanders.
 
>> Dylan Perry and Jamison led the Pioneers with 20 and 18 points apiece, respectively.
 
>> Alfred State logged 27 assists on the night, while Houghton managed only nine.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"That one hurt a lot. It hurts because these guys are invested, they're sowing seed, and we'd like to taste some fruit.
 
"[We] still have a ways to go.  I believe we will all learn from this and improve on our deficiencies. We're better than we were on October 15. We'll be better at Hartford.
 
"We know JaJuan [Preaster]'s capable of [what he showed tonight] and he's not near his ceiling. He wasn't rushed. He didn't press. It looked easy for him. So efficient on offense while guarding top scorers on the other end. That was a great night for #40." – Head Coach Jeremy Bialek
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will travel to Connecticut this Saturday for an exhibition matchup with the University of Hartford.  Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m.