HOBOKEN, NJ—Despite trailing most of the first half, the Alfred University men's basketball team (7-2, Empire 8 1-0) started 2015 off with a win against Empire 8 rival, Stevens Tech, 65-58.
 
The Saxons, coming off their second loss of the season, seemed they would meet the same fate to open Empire 8 play in 2015, trailing nearly the entire first half.  However, the highly skilled Saxons rebounded to grab a victory in a scrum of a game. 
 
The Saxons were able to get the advantage in points off turnovers (15-8), second chance points (20-13), and bench points (15-11 to scratch out their seventh win of the season.  Sophomore Eric Adams (Lebanon, NJ/Hunterdon Central) put together a wail of a game in the paint ripping down five offensive rebounds and shooting 6-of-8 (75%) from the field (3-of-3 from 3PT range).  Dalton Walsh (Stockton, NY/Cassadega Valley) also crashed the offensive boards snatching four of the teams' total 16 offensive rebounds. 
 
To start the game the Saxons came out sluggish, falling behind by ten with over 12 minutes to go in the first.  However, a band of AU players barraged the Ducks and got back within striking distance to close the half.  Finally, with only 35 seconds to play before the intermission, junior guard Julian Reinhart (Hornell, NY/Hornell) came up with two more clutch free throws to put the Saxons up, 27-25, to close the half.
 
The Saxons came out willing to preserve lead in the second stanza and were proficient in doing so until nearly half way through the period.  Stevens' Otis Osman (Fair Hills, NJ/Pingry) tied the game with a layup and immediately turned around to hit a three-pointer to singlehandedly grab the lead from the Saxons. 
 
Over the course of the next six minutes the game was a back-and-forth affair with the largest lead for either team was two points.  Finally, Walsh gained a little breathing room for the Saxons who had a two point lead at the time with an old-fashioned three-point play.  However, the Ducks would erase the deficit one more time before time played its course and forced Stevens into fouling the Saxons.  A trio of Saxons went 5-of-6 (83.3%) down the stretch to close out the game.  The Saxons returned to their winning ways with a 65-58 victory.
 
Adams finished the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.  Walsh also notched a double-double scoring 14 points, 11 rebounds, and adding two blocks.  Reinhart and Jerry Kincel (Moosic, PA/Riverside) both finished with nine points for the Saxons.
 
The Saxons have little time to recover as they continue on their road trip tomorrow (Sat., January 3^rd) to take on the Hartwick Hawks in the second Empire 8 showdown of the season.