ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball team had multiple great shots as part of a 84-68 win over Hilbert College on Saturday afternoon from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.
 
The Saxons (7-3, 2-1 Empire 8) shot 50 percent from the field, while the Hawks (3-5, 0-0 AMCC) were limited to one successful shot from three-point territory.
 
Alfred University was led by the efforts of Casey Curran (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone), who matched his career-high with 17 points to go with six rebounds and two assists. Adam Enders (Belfast, NY/Belfast) finished the game with 14 points along with three boards and a steal. Gabe Eldaye (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) added a season-high 10 points for AU.
 
"I think how we shot it today is a direct result of the character of our guys," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "We have unselfish players who really care about our teammates. I'm so thankful I get to work with them and the rest of our staff every day."
 
Following four lead changes in the early stages of the opening half, a three-point shot by Curran sparked an 8-0 run for the Saxons, as they led by as many as eight points. The Hawks worked their way back into the game, trailing by two points before shots from beyond the arc by Curran and Kevin Durkin (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate) extended AU's lead back to eight points. Moments later, Durkin hit an additional three-point shot to give the Saxons their first double-digit advantage of the afternoon. Hilbert landed successful free throws towards the end of the first half before Alfred University carried a 35-28 lead going into the break.
 
Elliot Bowen (Salamanca, NY/Ellicotville) opened scoring for the Saxons in the opening minutes of the second half. A 6-0 run by the Hawks cut their deficit to two points with just under 16 minutes to go in the game. AU responded with a 10-1 run of their own to extend their advantage to double-digits later in the half. Six different Saxons scored across the last 10 minutes of action before Alfred University secured the victory.
 
"We're certainly happy with the start," Kaempffe said. "Winning is hard and our guys have done a good job to this point. We have a long way to go and we can't wait to get back to work after the holidays."
 
Alfred University will next enjoy the winter break before returning to action on the road against Houghton University on Tuesday, January 3^rd at 7:30 PM.