Men's Basketball | 2/20/2022 8:30:41 PM
Top-seed Utica University aims to repeat as league champions, as the 2021-22 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Championship begins on Tuesday, Feb. 22 with first round action before semifinal and championship action takes place on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26 at Utica.
No. 4 seed Alfred University will host No. 5 Russell Sage College in the opening round Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. The winner of that contest will take on Utica from the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center in the first semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Friday. No. 2 seed Nazareth College and No. 3 seed St. John Fisher College will battle in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2022 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship, which begins March 4-5.
2021-22 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Championship Seeds
#1 – Utica (15-1 E8, 22-3 Overall)
#2 – Nazareth (13-3, E8, 21-4 Overall)
#3 – St. John Fisher (13-3 E8, 19-6 Overall)
#4 – Alfred (9-7 E8, 16-9 Overall)
#5 – Russell Sage (8-8, 14-11 Overall)
The 2021-22 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8) and
www.empire8.com.
2021-22 Empire 8 Men's Basketball Championship Schedule
Tuesday, February 22 – First Round (at Higher Seed)
#5 Russell Sage vs. #4 Alfred University – 7 p.m.
Friday, February 25 – Semifinals (at Utica)
Winner of Russell Sage/Alfred at No. 1 Utica – 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 St. John Fisher vs. No. 2 Nazareth - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 26 - Championship Final (at Utica)
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 - 3 p.m.
Utica is attempting to become the first back-to-back Empire 8 men’s basketball championships since Ithaca College in 2011-12 and 2012-13. The Pioneers enter the tournament having won 13 straight games and are out-scoring opponents by 11 points per contest. Four players are averaging at least 9.7 points per game, while the Pioneers are shooting 47.8 percent from the floor as a team. Thomas Morreale, the 2019-20 E8 Rookie of the Year and 2021 All-E8 first team selection, is averaging 14.5 points and 5.9 boards per game, while shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 54.7 percent from 3-point range. Darius Hopkins is averaging 12.8 points and 2.5 assists per game, while Kobe Lufkin is averaging 12.2 points per game, while averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers per game. Chris Green, Damien Call, Justice Brantley, Avery Coston and 2021 Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player Kimedrick Murphy are all integral contributors for a deep Pioneers team.
Nazareth is looking for its fourth Empire 8 Championship in program history and first since the 2017-18 season. The Golden Flyers enter the tournament with a 21-4 overall record, having finished 13-3 in league play. Nazareth, who rattled off a 17-game winning streak earlier in the season, is out-scoring its opponents by an average of 12 points per game in 2021. Graduate student Stephen Gabel, a two-time All-Empire 8 First Team selection, is second in the league, averaging 17.5 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 48 percent from the floor. Zach Stenglein, the 2019-20 E8 Defensive Player of the Year, is right behind, averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest to go along with 1.9 steals. Kevin Underwood is averaging 13.1 points on 53 percent shooting in just 21 minutes per game, while Jonathan Park is leading the league with 2.4 blocked shots per game, while shooting 59 percent from the floor and averaging 11.5 points and 9.8 boards. Logan Blankenberg and Isaac Nelson are also key contributors for the Golden Flyers.
St. John Fisher enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing 13-3 in league play. The Cardinals, who are 19-6 overall, will attempt to win their tenth E8 title in program history and second in three seasons. St. John Fisher is out-scoring its opponents by an average of nearly 14 points per game in 2021-22, while shooting 46 percent from the floor as a team. In addition, the Cardinals are out-rebounding its opponents, 43.5-35.3 this season. Junior Daniel Cook, the 2021 E8 Player of the Year leads the league scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 51 percent from the floor. Brendan Trapper is averaging 17.1 points per game, fourth best in the league, while Sean Williams leads all Empire 8 players with 5.1 assists and is second with 2.4 assists per game, while chipping in with 7.8 points per game.
St. John Fisher and Nazareth split the Battle of the Beaks regular season series, with each team winning on the road. Nazareth secured a 77-71 win at Manning Napier Varsity Gym on Jan. 29, while the Cardinals snapped Nazareth’s 17-game winning streak with an 87-80 win at Kidera Gymnasium on Feb. 8. The two teams last met in the postseason in 2020 when St. John Fisher erased a 20-point first half deficit and defeated Nazareth, 72-64 in the Empire 8 Championship game.
Alfred enters the Empire 8 Tournament with a 16-9 mark, including a 9-7 record in conference play for first year head coach Erich Kaempffe. The Saxons are out-scoring opponents, 71.4-63.8 this season and hold a 40.2-33.7 edge on the boards. Senior Brewster Marshall is among the league leaders with 15.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the foul line. Cole Eells is second on the team, averaging 10.5 points per game, while Mike Schmidt is averaging 9.7 points and 4.4 assists per game, second best in the E8. Elliot Bowen is shooting 55 percent from the field, while Kevin Durkin and Kenneth Allison, Jr. are also seeing over 18 minutes per game.
Russell Sage has advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals in each of the last two seasons and enters the tournament with a 13-12 overall record, Senior guard Jalon Borders, a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection, is enjoying another strong season, averaging 15.2 points and 5.9 rebounds to go along with 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per contest. His 3.8 assists are third best in the conference. Classmate Amani Cummings is averaging 12.2 points, while shooting a league-best 85.4 percent from the foul line. Fellow junior Stuart Phair is averaging 10.2 boards, 7.2 boards and 1.9 blocks per game. Tyler Mitchell and Fethener Aime have also seen big minutes late in the season.
Alfred and Russell Sage split the regular season series with each team winning on the road. Sage defeated Alfred, 64-61 on Jan. 14, while Alfred returned the favor with a 67-58 victory on Feb. 12. Utica earned the regular season sweep versus both Alfred and Russell Sage this season.
Admission
$6.00 - Adults
$4.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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