Box l Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Junior Mitch Ford amassed a game-high 35 points to lead host Nazareth to an 84-66 victory over Houghton in a men's Empire 8 Conference basketball game on Tuesday evening. Ford also collected a game-high 11 rebounds.

With the victory, Nazareth improves to 7-11 overall and 3-6 in Empire 8 Conference contests. Following the loss, Houghton drops to 5-14 overall and 1-10 in conference games. The win avenges the Golden Flyers' 65-60 loss to the Highlanders on January 6th in Houghton. In the conference standings, Nazareth stands three wins behind fourth-place Stevens, who is 6-5 in conference games.

The Golden Flyers scored the first nine points in the opening 2:27 to take command early in Tuesday's game. Ford opened the contest with a layup then added a pair of free throws. Sophomore Jack Mulcahy connected on a three-pointer, and junior Maurice Mills added a layup. Classmate Nick Nadeau provided the Golden Flyers with their first double-digit lead, 14-2, after a three-point play.

Ford stretched Nazareth's lead to 18 points, 36-18, with 6:10 to play in the opening period. The bucket increased the Golden Flyers' shooting to 70 percent (14-20) from the field. Ford scored the layup along the baseline after receiving a pass from Nadeau in the post. Houghton closed to within 37-25 with just under four minutes to play in the half, but the Highlanders were unable to get their deficit back to single digits. Nadeau gave Nazareth a 43-27 lead at the break with a driving layup in the closing seconds of the period.

Midway through the first, Houghton began using a zone to slow the Golden Flyers' torrid offensive attack. Nazareth still connected on over 59 percent (16-27) of its field goals through the opening 20 minutes. Ford finished the half with 20 points after making 7-9 (78 percent) of his field goals. Mills, Nadeau, and Mulcahy totaled an additional 22 points as they combined to shoot 9-15 (60 percent).

Ford continued his dominance in the second half as he tallied the first eight points in the opening 3:20 to extend the Golden Flyers' lead to 51-27. Defensively, Nazareth did not allow Houghton a field goal for more than five minutes to begin the period. The Highlanders were eventually able to close to within 13 points, 63-50, with about seven minutes left in regulation, but they never challenged the Golden Flyers' lead.

In addition to the 35 points from Ford, Nadeau and Mills finished with 19 and 13 points, respectively. Mulcahy recorded eight points, and classmate Dan Morse chipped in six more points. Nazareth's single-game scoring record belongs to Richard Sparks, who had 40 points against Alfred in 1986. Ford and Mills have each scored 38 points once this season.

The Golden Flyers accumulated a 36-31 advantage on the glass. With his 11 rebounds, Ford tallied his third consecutive double-double. Ford has six double-doubles on the season and five in his last six contests. Ford entered the contest ranked second on the team in scoring and rebounds with an average of 16.5 points per game and 8.2 boards per game.

Nazareth is in action again on Friday when the Golden Flyers travel to Alfred for another conference game, which is scheduled for 8 p.m.