HOUGHTON, NY – All five Houghton starters notched double-digit point totals as the Highlanders pulled away in the second half to take their home opener from the Mt. Aloysius Mustangs on Friday night, 95-77.
 
After a Mustangs layup pulled Mt. Aloysius within two points with less than 10 minutes to play in the game, Luke Cole nailed a three-pointer to kick start a 14-0 Houghton run.    
 
With a bit of a cushion, the Highlanders continued to separate down the stretch, eventually building their lead to as many as 22 points with just over a minute to play.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 95 | Mt. Aloysius – 77
Records: Houghton: 1-4 | Mt. Aloysius: 3-4
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton University | Attendance: 195

NOTABLE STATS
>> Jajuan Preaster posted 19 points, six rebounds, six steals and six assists to lead the Highlanders, while David Rosa added 19 points.  Preaster has scored in double-digits in all five Houghton games this season.
 
>> Esafe Taufahema notched his third consecutive double-double, posting 15 points and career-high 14 rebounds.  Like Preaster, he has scored in double-digits in all five Houghton games this season.
 
>> Luke Cole added a career-high 16 points and five blocked shots, while Daniel Rosario went 5-for-7 from the floor and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, for a career-high 14 points.
 
>> Houghton forced 26 turnovers, while committing only 17.  The Highlanders also knocked down 51.4% of their shots, including 45% from three-point range. 
 
COACH'S CORNER
"I am really proud of what the guys did to work through the choppy, messy parts of this game and then hit our stride late. Our defense, and specifically our ability to create turnovers, sustained us when we struggled in the half-court."
 
"All five starters in double-figures is a testament to the adjustments guys made in the second half. Mount Aloysius is a solid, physical defensive team, but we finally turned their aggression into opportunity by moving the ball and cutting well. We have willing passers, who made great decisions in that decisive run."
 
"Now, we'll see how we handle back-to-backs and the Empire 8." - Head Coach Jeremy Bialek

UP NEXT
The Highlanders travel to Buffalo tomorrow, Saturday, December 3^rd, where they will open conference play against the Medaille Mavericks at 4:00 p.m.  While this is Medaille's first year in the Empire 8, the two teams did match up last season, when the Mavericks pulled out a 77-74 victory in the closing minutes.