ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball captured an 88-76 win over Alfred State College on Friday night against Alfred State College as part of their season-opener.  

The win for Alfred University marked their eighth consecutive season-opening victory as a program.

Tyler Hind (Randolph, NY/Randolph) scored a team-high 20 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field. Franlys Valenzuela (Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic/San Ysidro) finished the game with 16 points to go with eight rebounds. Zion Baitey (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) added 13 points along with six boards and four assists for AU.

"We are happy to start 1-0," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "Winning is hard, and I thought our team played unselfishly tonight and that led to some clean offense. Coach Buschang and Alfred State are going to be tough to play against all year for their opponents. They do a nice job."

Alfred University relied on points from five different players across the first five minutes of action, taking an early 16-9 lead. A three-point shot by Robby Hicks (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) gave AU their first double-digit advantage of the evening. The deep shot continued to fall for the Saxons, as 12 of 14 points were scored from three-point range across a six-minute span in the first half. Hind managed to drive in a layup within the final minute of the half before AU went into the break with a 45-35 lead.

Hind picked up where he left off early in the second half, hitting a three-point shot for Alfred University. A 7-0 run from the Saxons had them leading by 17 points with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game. The Pioneers tried to keep themselves in the game, but seven straight points from Amoi Charles (Elmont, NY/H. Frank Carey) extended the lead for the Saxons. Alfred State ended the game on a 9-2 run, but Alfred University played well enough on both ends to come away with the win.

Alfred University will next host Montclair State on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 3:00 PM.