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ALFRED, NY – Junior guard Dom LeMorta (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) shot an efficient 6-for-9 from the floor to help the Saxons defeat visiting Cazenovia College, 74-62 in the final game of the Special Tees Tipoff Tournament.
 
For the Saxons (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8), LeMorta scored 17 points, including five three-point shots, to lead all scorers. Fellow junior Sage Brown (Cortland, NY/Cortland) added 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds (five offensive, three defensive). First-year forward Jeremiah Zitz (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) had a solid game, collecting a game-high 10 rebounds (four offensive, six defensive) and also lead the team in steals with four.
 
LeMorta found his stroke early, knocking down both of his three-point attempts in the first five minutes of play to tie the game, 6-6. The Wildcats got the lead back after a Raishun Richardson layup. With 10:31 to go in the half, the Saxons trailed, 18-17, before LeMorta put them back on top. This would be the last time Alfred would trail as they closed out the half on a 16-5 run.
 
The Saxons largest lead of the game came in the second half as senior forward Dalton Cousin (Sherrill, NY/Verona-Verona-Sherrill) pulled up inside the paint to convert the jumper to make the score 65-28 with 8:08 remaining regulation. Cazenovia was able to cut the lead down to 13 after Zach Jones-Butler converted his three-point attempt but it was too little too late.
 
Brian Daily paced the Wildcats with 10 points with Jones-Butler and Jawaan Crouch scoring eight apiece. Cameron Wilson lead the team in rebounds with seven (four offensive, three defensive).
 
"We're excited with how we started the Special Tees Tipoff Classic. We think it's great to give an opportunity for the community to come and watch Alfred University and Alfred State play in the same facility in back-to-back games and we're happy to come out of it 2-0 this year," Head Coach Russ Phillips said. "Today, I thought our defensive focus and energy and the attention to detail helped us to separate early and take control in the first half."
 
The Saxons defensive transitioned nicely into offense, holding the advantage in points off turnovers, 23-19 as well as points in the paint, 26-20. The Wildcats held the advantage in bench points with 36 to Alfred's 20.
 
The Saxons are in action next week, November 21, as they host RIT at 6 PM.