ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball team played well in the second half but came up short in a 79-69 loss to #23 Nazareth College on Friday night from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.
 
The Saxons (13-5, 8-3 Empire 8) outscored the Golden Flyers (14-3, 8-2 Empire 8) by a 44-41 margin in the second half. Nazareth was held to just one successful shot from beyond the arc.
 
Alfred University was led by Mike Schmidt (Olean, NY/Olean), who finished with 23 points, including a career-high six shots from 3-point territory. Brewster Marshall (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) totaled 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Darren Miller (Seneca Falls, NY/Mynderse Academy) added 10 points and five boards for AU.
 
"All credit to Nazareth," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "Coach Broderick does a great job getting them ready and they played a lot better than us tonight."
 
The Golden Flyers got off to a quick start with a 7-0 run in the opening half, forcing the Saxons to play from behind. Moments later, Nazareth extended their lead to a double-digit advantage with just under 12 minutes remaining in the half. Casey Curran (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) scored five straight points for Alfred University to cut the deficit. Curran scored four additional points for AU before the Saxons entered halftime trailing 38-25.
 
Schmidt opened scoring in the second half for the Saxons with a 3-point shot. Later in the half, a 14-0 run by the Golden Flyers was snapped by a 3-pointer from Adam Enders (Belfast, NY/Belfast). Schmidt scored 20 of Alfred University's 44 points in the second half to cut Nazareth's lead down to eight points in the final minute. The Golden Flyers hit their free throws in the home stretch to hold on for the win.
 
"We're excited for tomorrow," Kaempffe said. "I know our guys will play hard."
 
Alfred University will next host St. John Fisher University on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 4:00 PM.