BROCKPORT, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball team played hard for a full 40 minutes as part of a 72-69 win over SUNY Brockport on Tuesday night from the Jim and John Vlogianitis Gym.
 
The Saxons (1-0) finished 50 percent from three-point range while forcing the Golden Eagles (0-1) to 17 turnovers.
 
Adam Enders (Belfast, NY/Belfast) led the Saxons with a team-high 19 points to go with two rebounds and two assists. Brewster Marshall (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) ended the game with 12 points and nine rebounds. Elliot Bowen (Salamanca, NY/Ellicotville) finished with 10 points and eight boards for AU.
 
"I'm really proud of our guys for how they handled pressure and adversity tonight," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "We have so much respect for Brockport and Coach Dunne. They're always one of the best teams in our region and they're incredibly tough to compete against."
 
Enders opened scoring for the Saxons early in the first half with a three-point shot for the early advantage. The Golden Eagles responded with an 11-0 run to put Alfred University in a brief deficit. Three-point shots from Enders and Anthony Ruffino (Buffalo, NY/Niagara Wheatfield) were followed by a layup from Kenneth Allison Jr (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh), as the Saxons crawled back to trail by one point with 11:52 remaining in the first half. A three-point shot by Casey Curran (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) sparked an 8-0 run for Alfred University, as they led by as many as four points. Enders scored six points in the remaining two minutes of the first half for AU to lead 38-29 entering halftime.
 
The Golden Eagles continued to put up a fight in the second half, compiling a 12-0 run to cut their deficit to just two points. Success from the free throw line for Brockport tied the game with 13:02 left in the second half. Marshall and Mike Schmidt (Olean, NY/Olean) combined for six points to give the Saxons the lead once again with 11:26 remaining. Later in the half, Brockport strung together a 10-0 run to take a one-point advantage with 1:12 left.
 
A jump shot from Allison Jr with 46 seconds remaining swung the momentum back in Alfred University's favor. Successful free throws from Allison Jr and Schmidt in the final minute sealed the win for the Saxons.  
 
"We need to enjoy this one, get some rest, and then get back to work tomorrow for a really tough opponent in SUNY Canton on Friday," Kaempffe said.