Men’s Basketball Rolls Alfred 90-56 in Empire 8 Opener
ALFRED, N.Y. (nazathletics.com) – Nazareth Men’s Basketball dominated Alfred, 90-56, for the team’s first Empire 8 win Saturday afternoon inside Terry S. Galanis Family Area.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Nazareth jumped out to a 7-0 lead behind an early three from Jaylen Savage, made free throws by Tyler Putney and a fast-break layup from Solomon McFarlane, setting the tone for a dominant first half.
- After Alfred came back to tie the contest at 16, the Golden Flyers responded with a 34-13 run to close the half up 50-29. Key plays included back-to-back transition scores from Ryan Broderickand Savage and two threes from Putney that stretched the margin into double digits.
- Nazareth opened the second half with steady defensive pressure, generating early turnovers that led to baskets from Holly and Luke Insley to push the margin past 20 at 60-39..
- Savage continued to attack the paint and score in transition as Nazareth surged to a 70-41 advantage, with Insley repeatedly setting up baskets during a decisive stretch.
- Zachary McFarland delivered a personal 4-0 burst midway through the half, helping Nazareth extend its lead to 36 before a Will Burnett layup made it 79-41, the Golden Flyers the largest lead of the night.
- Nazareth’s bench closed the game strong, highlighted by an Owen Boylanthree in the final minutes as the Golden Flyers cruised to their first conference win over the Saxons, 90-56.
GAME NOTES
- The Golden Flyers 90-56 win over Alfred marks the team’s largest margin of victory this season. Nazareth registered 90 points for the second time after scoring 98 over Marywood, Nov. 8.
- Jaylen Savage led the Golden Flyers with 22 points, his second consecutive game with 20 or more points and third this season. The senior went 9 of 13 from the floor and added three rebounds and three steals.
- Merritt Holly posted his second double-double of the year with 16 points and 11 rebounds, matching his season-high point total for the third time. Holly shot 6 for 8 from the field and made all four of his free throws.
- Tyler Putney recorded his third double-digit scoring performance of the season with 11 points, going a perfect 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. Putney added two rebounds, a steal and a block.
- Luke Insley rounded out Nazareth’s double figure point scorers with 10. The graduate student chipped in a team-best seven assists and went 6 of 6 from the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
Nazareth returns to action at Keystone, Tuesday, Dec. 16. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. in La Plume, PA.
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