Senior Maurice Mills scored a season-high 23 points (10-of-13) as Nazareth won its fifth-straight game, 86-72, over visiting Houghton College Tuesday night at Kidera Gymnasium.  He also added nine rebounds and three blocks.

Nazareth, winners of its first four games in the Empire 8, is now 8-5 overall.  Houghton falls to 5-7 overall and 0-4 in conference play. 

Both squads started off well from the floor with Nazareth holding a 17-15 lead just over five minutes into the game. 

The Golden Flyers were able to open up an advantage with a 21-8 run over  an eight minute span to build their biggest lead of the half at 38-23.  Brendan Wind contributed back-to-back layups at the end of the run with 6:17 to play in the half.

Nazareth led 50-40 at the break.

Both teams struggled from the floor in the second with Nazareth shooting 38.3 percent (13-34) and Houghton shooting just 25.6 percent (10-39).

Mills poured in a layup at the midway point to give Nazareth its largest second half lead at 70-56.

Houghton hung around in the contest, but never came closer than seven points.

With the score 76-68 at the three minute mark, Nazareth closed on a 10-4 run to hold off a Highlander surge.

Ford notched his 10^th double-double of the season with 22 points (8-of-18) and grabbed 15 boards.  Wind was the only other scorer in double figures for Nazareth, notching 10 points and five assists.

The Golden Flyers went without a 3-point field goal in the game, going 0-for-7.

Nazareth returns to the court on Thursday at 6 p.m. when it hosts St. John Fisher for the Battle of the Beaks.