Alfred University Athletics

ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with a 67-57 victory over Penn State Berks on Friday evening as part of the BSN Tip-Off Tournament.

Zion Baitey (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) led the Saxons with a double-double, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Ademiju (Elkridge, MD/Howard) also posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards. Tyler Curran (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) contributed across the stat sheet with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

"I loved the resiliency from our guys tonight," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "Certainty not the prettiest game, but we battled and made some plays down the stretch. We're excited for tomorrow."

A layup from Ademiju opened the scoring for Alfred University (1-0) in the first half. Later in the period, a basket from Abdoul Toure (Brooklyn, NY/High School for Public Service) sparked a 9-0 run, allowing the Saxons to extend their lead. With under six minutes remaining before halftime, a layup from Baitey pushed Alfred University's advantage into double digits for the first time. The Nittany Lions (0-1) closed the half with a 7-0 run, but the Saxons maintained a 27-20 lead heading into the break.

Ademiju and Baitey provided early offense to open the second half, helping Alfred University build an 11-point advantage. Penn State Berks responded with a 12-0 run to take the lead, eventually extending its advantage to five points. However, the Saxons answered with nine points from three different players to regain control. With less than five minutes remaining, a layup from Frank Ringel (Yorktown, NY/Yorktown Heights) ignited a 7-0 run that pushed AU's lead to as many as nine points. The Saxons' defense then limited the Nittany Lions to just five points over the final two minutes to secure the 67-57 victory.

Alfred University will return to action at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, traveling across the street to face Alfred State College in the BSN Tip-Off Tournament Championship. The rivalry matchup will also count toward the Alfred Cup standings.