ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball team grabbed their first victory of the season in their 82-72 win over SUNY Brockport on Saturday evening from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.

The Saxons (1-0) edged out the Golden Eagles (0-1) 42-38 in the rebound battle. AU also hit 21-of-24 shots from the free throw line.

Graduate guard Cole Eells (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca) led the Saxons with 20 points to go with four rebounds. Senior forward Brewster Marshall (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) finished with 15 points and seven boards. Junior guard Mike Schmidt (Olean, NY/Olean) filled the box score with a team-high eight assists along with four rebounds and three steals.

"I thought we competed and did our best to be as tough as possible," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "Coach Dunne and Brockport are always one of the best programs in our region and we have a lot of respect for them."

The Saxons trailed early in the first half, but relied on Eells to score the team's first eight consecutive points across the first eight minutes of action. A three-point shot from senior guard Kevin Durkin (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate) at the 8:26 mark in the first half gave AU their first lead. The Saxons led by as many as seven points before entering halftime with a 32-30 lead.

The early moments of the second half for the Saxons was highlighted by six points from Marshall within the first three minutes. Alfred University upheld their lead thanks to junior guard Justin Phillips (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights), who scored 11 points in the second half, five of which came from the charity stripe. Four baskets in the final minute from Brockport was answered with six consecutive free throws from the Saxons to secure the win.

"Hilbert is a really good program and we're excited to prepare for them," Kaempffe said. "We'll rest, recover, and do our best to play well on Tuesday."

The Saxons will travel to play Hilbert College on Tuesday with tip-off taking place at 7:30 PM.