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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Nazareth outscored visiting Alfred 44-28 in the first half and went on to defeat the Saxons 73-59 in a men's Empire 8 basketball game. Juniors Jason Corletta and Phil Scaffidi tallied 22 points apiece to lead the Golden Flyers to the victory.

Nazareth improves to 4-4 in Empire 8 games and 11-6 overall. Alfred falls to 2-5 in conference games and 7-8 overall.

The Golden Flyers surged to a 21-10 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game following a two-point basket by senior Dominique Kendrick. Nazareth continued its offensive attack with a 16-4 scoring run to claim a 37-14 lead with 5:44 remaining in the first half. Corletta started the Golden Flyers' second run with a layup, which was followed by a three-point basket by Scaffidi. After sophomore Dan Waldbillig added two free throws, Corletta scored on back-to-back possessions. Freshman Brad Ford capped the run with a layup to give Nazareth its largest lead of the game.

The Golden Flyers maintained their lead througout the second half as Nazareth never allowed the Saxons to cut their deficit to fewer than nine points. Alfred's Gary Kwiecien first cut the Golden Flyers' lead to under 10 points with around 6:00 remaining in regulation, however, Corletta converted a three-point play to reclaim Nazareth's double-digit lead. After the Saxons' Josh Parker converted his three-point opportunity to cut the Golden Flyers' lead to nine points, Corletta answered with two free throws. In the closing minutes, Scaffidi also reclaimed Nazareth's double-digit lead with a layup. The Golden Flyers tallied the final five points of the game to go on to the 73-59 victory.

Sophomore Tyshun Stephens was Nazareth's third player to finish in double figures as he recorded 12 points. Ford added seven points and a game-high seven rebounds while Corletta also finished with a team-high five assists. The Golden Flyers sealed the victory by connecting on 15-17 (88 percent) of their free throw opportunities. Nazareth also shot over 52 percent from the field (25-48).

Mike Stopera and Bryan Bobo each recorded 13 points for the Saxons. Kwiecien finished with 12 points. The Golden Flyers' defense stymied Alfred's offensive attack throughout most of the game. Nazareth held the Saxons to shooting 37 percent (21-57) from the field, including 14 percent (3-22) from beyond the arc.

The Golden Flyers will attempt to avenge their earlier loss to Ithaca Friday evening when Nazareth hosts the Bombers in another important Empire 8 game.