Box Score ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball team bolstered its position in the Empire 8 Conference standings with an emphatic 100-88 victory over Stevens Institute of Technology Friday evening at the McLane Center.

AU freshman guard Tyler Seelman (Lorton, VA/Hayfield Secondary) and senior forward Thomas Tsatsis (Neponsit, NY/Townsend Harris) combined for 38 points as the Saxons defeated the Ducks for the first time ever. Stevens had beaten AU 13 straight times dating back to the 2007-08 season, when the Ducks joined the Empire 8.

With the win, Alfred improves to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in Empire 8 play. Stevens, which has two Empire 8 games in hand over the Saxons, falls to 8-3 in league play and 14-7 overall. Stevens' 8-3 conference mark is tied with Hartwick (Alfred's opponent Saturday) for first in the Empire 8 standings.

The Saxons never trailed against Stevens, holding a 54-47 halftime lead, overcoming poor foul shooting (27 percent) with 49 percent shooting from the floor, including a blistering 47 percent (nine of 19) from behind the three-point line.

AU led by as many as eight after intermission before the visitors knotted the contest at 74-74 with seven minutes left. AU went on a 26-14 run to close out the game that including 16 foul shots in 20 attempts down the stretch.

Tsatsis was 10-of-12 from the foul line as AU shot 71 percent from the charity stripe after intermission and 60 percent (25 of 42) for the game. He added seven rebounds, seven assists and game-high seven steals. Seelman made three shots from long range and eight of 14 overall. For the game, AU shot 40 from the floor (31 percent on three-pointers), while holding the visitors to 17 percent shooting four of 23 from behind the arc.

Alfred held a huge 62-39 edge in rebounds, as junior center Dalton Walsh (Stockton, NY/Cassadaga Valley) (13 points, two blocks) and sophomore guard Jerry Kincel (Moosic, PA/Riverside) (eight points, two assists and two steals) had six and seven boards, respectively. Junior guard Tim Pacheco (Mt. Pocono, PA/Pocono Mountain East) had five assists and two steals; senior center Steve Lothridge (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa (OCC)) chipped in with nine points; and junior forward Jeremy Johnson (Martinsburg, WV/Martinsburg (Shepherd)) grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.


Patrick Sabatino led Stevens with 22 points and eight rebounds. Matt Skrelja and Evan Klimchak each contributed 14 points and five assists, with Skrelja adding eight boards and three steals. Stevens travels to Empire 8 foe Elmira College Saturday at 2 p.m.

Heading into tomorrow's key contest with visiting Hartwick, AU is in fourth place in the Empire 8 standings, just behind third place Nazareth (7-3 conference), who the Saxons have already beaten this year. The two teams play at Nazareth on Tuesday, Feb. 18.