ROCHESTER, NY—The Alfred University men's basketball team denied Hartwick the three-peat in a back-and-forth matchup in the Empire 8 semifinal, 79-72, Friday evening at St. John Fisher College to win their ninth consecutive game.
 
Four Saxons notched double-digits in the game, with Tyler Seelman (Lorton, VA/Hayfield Secondary) leading the way with 19 points.  Countless AU players were also involved hitting clutch shots throughout the game.
 
The game started largely in the Saxons' favor when they opened the game with a 12-2 run in the first 2:57 of the game.  Seelman carried the lion-share of the points after draining two three-pointers. 
 
AU held onto the lead until the 6:31 mark in the first half, when Hartwick's Trevor Norton hit back-to-back free throws to grab the lead 26-25.  The Hawks quickly jumped out to a 36-27, and maintained a steady pace until both teams headed to the locker room with Hartwick on top, 43-35.
 
Alfred University started out the second half hot as well, rattling off six points before Hartwick could find the twine.  Only down by four early in the second stanza, AU mounted another run to tie the game at 50 a piece. 
 
The next ten minutes were a struggle for supremacy with six lead changes; neither team could assert their will on their opponent.  However, it was the Saxons who found the thrust, up 68-67, to give them the edge and a three-point lead with an Eric Adams (Lebanon, NJ/Hunterdon Central) tip-in to make the game 70-67. 
 
Hartwick looked to make a comeback in the closing minutes, but AU's staunch defense was too much for the Hawks.  With the game at 72-69, Seelman put in a deep three to give the Saxons a large six-point lead with 51 seconds to go. 
 
With a solid lead and the Hawks on the ropes the Alfred University fans rattled the Manning & Napier Gymnasium with cheers of delight.  After multiple fouls to attempt to sneak their way back into the game, the Hawks were held at bay by the AU players hitting their shots from the free throw stripe.  As the clock expired, AU held the seven-point lead, 79-72.
Along with his 19 points, Seelman accumulated two assists and two steals.  Junior guard Julian Reinhart (Hornell, NY/Hornell) added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists over 30 minutes of play.  Senior Dalton Walsh (Stockton, NY/Cassadega Valley) led the Saxons on the boards with nine, and matched that total in points on the night; Adams ended with 11 points and eight rebounds; Freshman Kevin McFall (Hatsboro, PA/Upper Moreland) notched 10 points along with three rebounds. 
The Saxons (19-7, E8 11-5) look to make it ten wins in a row when they return to the court to take on #1 seeded St. John Fisher College in a rematch of the February 17^th matchup, where the Saxons handed SJFC their first Empire 8 loss of the season.