Pioneers Cage Bloodhounds

The Alfred State men's basketball team started the game on a 8-0 run and never gave up the lead as they defeated John Jay 88-64. The Pioneers shot 51.6% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the three-point line.

After the quick start, John Jay cut the lead to 8-6 before the blue & gold were able to push the lead back out to eight, 14-6. The Bloodhounds clawed back into the game cutting the lead to two, 26-24 and 30-28, before the Pioneers finished the half on a 9 to 2 run to hold a 39-30 lead.

The Pioneers pushed their lead to double digits early in the 2nd half and put the game out of reach with four 3-pointers midway through the half. Josh Miller-LaBar (Groton/Lansing) connected on three of those 3's and Juwan Toliver (Buffalo/McKinley) hit the final one that made it 66-45. The Pioneers led by as many as 26 in the final minutes of the game.

Toliver led the Pioneers with 14 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. Marcus Rhett (Middletown) and Owen Spencer (Perry) both finished with 12. Miller-LaBar and Dante Jordan (New York/Law and Public Service) both finished with nine while Alexshay Pearce (Rochester/Charlotte) and Tahaij Lewis (Rochester/Greece Olympia) both chipped in eight.

The Pioneers were 33 for 64 from the field, 9 for 21 from three, and were 13 for 24 from the foul line. The bench finished with 41 points in the contest.

Hakeem Animashaun led all scorers with 32 points. He was 8 for 11 from the field and 16 for 22 from the foul line. Kyle LaGuardia and Luciano Cruz-Fernand both finished with 8 for the Bloodhounds. John Jay shot 33.9% (20 for 59) from the field, 15% (3 for 20) from three, and 63.6% (21 for 33) from the foul line.

The blue & gold are right back in action on Monday when they travel to Wells for a 7 p.m. tip-off vs. the Express.