ALFRED, N.Y. – The Houghton men's basketball team dropped a 72-65 decision to Alfred State on Wednesday evening at the Orvis Activities Center. The Highlanders trailed 41-31 at halftime but battled back in the second half, outscoring the Pioneers 34-31.
Alfred State established an early advantage, building a 10-point lead by the break behind a strong first-half shooting performance. Houghton worked to close the gap throughout the second half, eventually cutting the deficit to three points at 46-49 with 11:58 remaining. The Pioneers responded to maintain their advantage, and Houghton was unable to complete the comeback in the closing minutes.
Lou Bellamy led the Highlanders with 22 points and 15 rebounds, recording a double-double while shooting 9-of-16 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line.
Tyson Clark added 12 points, while
Justus Kleitz and
Jake Verschoyle each contributed 10 points.
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton 65 | Alfred State 72
Records: Houghton (0-3, 0-0 Empire 8) | Alfred State (3-0, 0-0 SUNYAC)
Venue: Orvis Activities Center – Alfred, N.Y.
Attendance: 175
COACH'S INSIGHTS
"Another tough loss to a solid team. We continue to play skittish in the first half - either turning the ball over, missing shots we normally make, and/or not guarding well. I loved what we did in the last dozen minutes. It was a lot like our latter minutes against Franciscan. We have to be more confident and more consistent. I believe our shots will start to fall, but we cannot let doubt creep in. I feel like that's happened in each of these first three games.
Lou Bellamy continues to be very difficult for defenses to guard. He's kept us in games with his inside presence, including his boards and blocked shots. He's going to have a fantastic year, and his contagious play will start translating into victories." - Head Coach Jeremy Bialek
NOTABLE STATS
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Lou Bellamy paced Houghton with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
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Trey Kleitz contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
>> Houghton shot 39.7% from the field and 12.0% from three-point range, making 3-of-25 attempts from beyond the arc. The Highlanders converted all eight of their free-throw attempts.
>> Houghton outscored Alfred State 34-31 in the second half and finished with 46 points in the paint.
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will return to action in Houghton this weekend as they compete against SUNY Morrisville in their home-opener. The contest will be held in the Nielsen Center at 4:00 PM on Saturday, November 14.
