Starting the New Year Off Right; Men’s Basketball Defeats University of Saint Joseph
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The men’s basketball team started off it’s 2025 season with a bang in a 78-75 win over University of Saint Joseph on Saturday evening. Four were in double digits for the Golden Flyers in the three-point win. Solomon McFarlane had a stand-out game, leading the team in rebounds with seven, while also adding 14 points, including the go-ahead layup to give Nazareth the lead with 24 seconds left in the game.
Nazareth’s record improves to 6-4 overall, while USJ drops to 7-5.
In the first half, Nazareth came out strong, creating a double-digit lead with six minutes left in the half. However, the Blue Jays were able to string together a few runs late in the half to cut the lead to only four heading into the second.
Luke Insley led the scoring in the first half with 13, followed closely behind by Jaylen Savage with 11. McFarlane had six in the half, while Tyler Putney added five. Also scoring in the half was Zachary McFarland with a three, and Merritt Holly and WIll Burnett each added a freethrow.
In the second half, Saint Joseph was able to take the lead in under three minutes of game play. The two teams then went on to trade buckets for the next two minutes until the Blue Jays were finally able to string together a run to put them ahead by nine with just over ten minutes left to play.
Saint Joseph held the lead strong around seven until the four minute mark, where Nazareth was finally able to cut the lead to two possessions. With two and a half minutes to go, Insley laid one in to make it a one-point game at 74-73 in favor of the Blue Jays.
With 40 seconds left, Saint Joseph missed a layup that was rebounded by Liam Hopwood. Putney took a three that just rolled out but Hopwood was there for another rebound. With 24 seconds left, McFarlane scored a layup to put Nazareth ahead by one. McFarlane then closed out the last seconds of game play with a steal, two free throws, a defensive rebound, and another free throw to help Nazareth hold the Blue Jays to 75 points, while taking the 78-75 victory.
Savage finished the game as Nazareth’s high scorer with 26 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Insley was right behind with 17 points, while also adding four assists. McFarlane had his 14 points and seven rebounds, as well as two steals. Putney finished the game with 11 points and two rebounds. Holly, Ryan Broderick, and McFarland each added three points, while Holly also tallied six rebounds. Hopwood, Jack Broderick, and Gabe Lucarelli added five, three, and two rebounds respectively.
The Golden Flyers will be on the road on the 7th as they head to Houghton University for a 7:30 p.m. conference showdown.
Merritt Holly Named Empire 8’s Rookie of the Week for Men’s Basketball
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ROCHESTER, NY – Merritt Holly has been named Empire 8’s Rookie of the Week following three outstanding performances in games around the holiday break.
Over the three games, Holly totaled 55 points and 27 rebounds.
In a 96-90 win over Randolph on the 17th, Holly had 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block.
The following day in an 88-87 overtime loss to Lynchburg, Holly had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block.
Against Hartford on the 30th, Holly led Naz to a 74-65 win with a double-double including 19 points and 10 rebounds, while also adding another block.
Holly and the rest of the Golden Flyers will be back on the floor on January 4th at 4 p.m. as Nazareth hosts University of Saint Joseph.
PLAYERS MENTIONED
#30 Merritt Holly
F 6′ 6″ Freshman
Holly’s Double-Double Propels Men’s Hoops Past Hartford, 74-65
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HARTFORD, CT – For the third consecutive game, Merritt Holly scored in double figures, leading Nazareth with 19 points on Monday en route to a 74-65 win over Hartford. Holly went 8-for-11 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.
The Golden Flyers are now 5-4 overall, while Hartford is 3-7.
Nazareth started the first half strong with Solomon McFarlane scoring the first 3-pointer at 19:11, initiating a 10-0 run. Holly contributed defensively with a block and a defensive rebound, while McFarlane added a layup and a free throw to extend the lead to 10-0 before Hartford’s first timeout. The Golden Flyers maintained the lead throughout the half, with Luke Insleyassisting on key plays and Ryan Broderickmaking a 3-pointer at 1:20, concluding the half with a 41-34 advantage over Hartford.
In the second half, Nazareth displayed strong performance in the paint, scoring 32 points there. Holly led the effort with multiple key layups, including one at 3:45 that extended the lead to 60-51. Despite some turnovers, the Golden Flyers maintained a steady lead, outscoring Hartford 33-31 in the half. This victory marked the second-straight year Nazareth defeated Hartford, following a close 77-76 win in overtime during the 2023-24 season.
Nazareth’s team featured several standout players based on their recent performances. McFarlane made an impact defensively with three steals and eight points. Tyler Putneycontributed with nine points. Jaylen had10 points, while he also gathered five rebounds. Insley dished out eight assists, to go along with scoring 12 points.
Nazareth will host the University of Saint Joseph on Saturday at 4 p.m.