Box | Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Host Nazareth used a late first-half scoring run to open a double-digit halftime lead Tuesday and the Golden Flyers held on to defeat Houghton, 90-83, in a hard-fought Empire 8 Conference men's basketball game at the Kidera Gymnasium.

The Golden Flyers played without Empire 8 Conference scoring leader Tyler Stenglein, who was out with an upper-body injury. Sophomores Brendan Wind and Chris Jones each posted career-high point totals with 29 and 13 respectively as Nazareth won for the eighth time in its last 10 games to improve to 14-7 overall and 8-4 in the E8. The win avenged an earlier defeat as Houghton defeated the Golden Flyers 81-73 on Jan. 7. Houghton is 8-13 overall and 3-9 in conference games.

Nazareth closes out the home portion of its regular-season schedule Thursday with a conference game against Elmira at 8 p.m. The Golden Flyers will honor their three seniors -- Josh Gillard, Denzell Jackson and Jack Mulcahy -- plus manager Reggie Lane.

The game was close for much of the first half before Nazareth used a 17-4 scoring spree over the final five minutes to turn a two-point disadvantage into a 43-32 lead at the break. Daniel Jacob touched off the scoring run with a three-pointer and Jones contributed a pair of field goals. Wind scored 11 points in the first half, including a pair of foul shots with :03 left to supply the halftime margin.

Nazareth went 5-for-16 from three-point range in the first half with Jacob hitting three and Cody Green two. Houghton, meanwhile, went just 1-for-10 from long distance. John Nelson scored 10 first-half points to lead the Highlanders.

Houghton's Phil Pellegrino heated up fro the Highlanders in the second half as he scored 17 of his team-high 21 points, including 13 in a 10-minute stretch that sliced Nazareth's lead to one, 64-63, with 8:11 left. Pellegrino made a pair of three-pointers and then converted a conventional three-point play. 

Nazareth answered with a free throw by Wind, a basket by Jake Burgio and a pair of free throws by Jones to go back up by six, 71-65, with 6:00 left. Nazareth eventually extended the lead back into double figures as Wind sank a pair of free throws with 1:04 left to make it 83-72. 

Nazareth went 25-for-32 from the foul line overall, including 7-for-10 in the closing minute with Josh Gillard sinking four, Burgio two and Jack Mulcahy one.

Wind finished with seven assists in addition to his 29 points. Jones grabbed eight rebounds. Burgio finished with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Jacobs finished with 11 points. Houghton had five players with double-digit point totals with Dylan Lambert and Johnathan Stowe each scoring 18 in addition to Pellegrino's 21. The Highlanders shot 54.7 percent from the field (35-for-64), while Nazareth went 30-for-69 (43.5 percent).