Men’s and women’s basketball as well as men’s and women’s indoor track and field came to a close on Saturday. The Nielsen center was packed with over 300 people who came to see Highlanders play host to cross-town rival Alfred University. Down by 8 early in the game, the Highlanders had their work cut out for them. With Phil Pellegrino ‘17 coming into the game with 999 career points, the Highlander faithful were just waiting to erupt. When Pellegrino stepped up to the free throw line the anticipation was palpable. After draining the first basket, the crowd’s excitement couldn’t be contained any longer as they cheered on their 1,000-point scorer. “Scoring 1,000 points was something that I never really thought of my whole college career. I hear of so few people doing it that it never registered to me that it was a possibility. Being able to do it in front of a home crowd on my last game was something out of a dream. The amount of support that whole Houghton community gave me throughout the process was an unforgettable experience,” said Pellegrino.
The Highlanders went on to defeat Alfred on the backs of Dylan Lambert’s ‘19 41 points and a clutch three-point shot from Pellegrino that would prove to be the game winner. “…It was the ultimate high note. Having transferred from Alfred U after my freshman year it was a pretty sweet victory for me personally. Every senior contributed a ton to the game, so it really sent us all out with a good taste in our mouths. I can’t say enough about the support and love that all my teammates and the Houghton community has given the entire year. I couldn’t have asked for a better college basketball experience,” he said.
Though the Highlanders failed to reach their goal of making the playoffs, the team posted a final record of 10-15. “It was great to win against a rival to end the not only the last game of the season but my college career as well… [it] was just all you could ask for” said Johnathan Stowe ‘17.
The Houghton Women’s basketball team closed their season out in an exciting way as well. Unfortunately, the outcome was not as favorable as the men’s game. The Houghton crowd thought the game was won when Madison Detwiler ‘19 converted the two most crucial points of the game at the line giving the Highlanders a two-point advantage with five seconds to play. Instead it was Alfred’s Jamie Wilcox to the rescue, scoring a two-point jumper as time expired to force overtime. Despite the Highlander effort, Alfred prevailed by a score of 83-78. “The end of the season is always tough, even more so after an overtime loss. That hurt. We did improve from last year, but I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I said I thought our team wasn’t capable of more as far as wins and losses go. I am most thankful for my time here because I have made amazing lifelong friends…I can’t wait to see what the team does next year,” said Elle Reed ‘17 after her last game as a Highlander.
The team may see a bright future. Major contributors such as Laura Call ‘18, Brittany Lenart ‘19, Madison Detwiler ‘19, Leslie Moose ‘19 and Cori Beck ‘20 will be returning next year for another run at the Empire 8 tournament.
The Houghton indoor track and field team also had a productive season. In the Empire 8 Championships the team recorded 20 personal best performances. A school record was set in the men’s 4 x 4 by Cory McCarty ‘17, Dan Burdo ‘20, Nate Moore ‘18, and Will Baggs ‘20. The men’s team set a school record by scoring 16 points in a conference meet, and Nikki Garns ‘18 set the Division III era school record in the 200 meter. To top off conference competition, Leland Roberts ‘19 pole vaulted his way to becoming an Empire 8 Champion.
At the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament, Gwen Stokes ‘20 earned All-American honors in the high jump, making third place with a leap of 1.52 meters.
Rebekah White ‘18, Stokes, Garns, and Emma Fox ‘20 now hold the school record for the women’s 4×400 meter run, after sprinting to a time of 4:14.39 at nationals. The foursome finished in 6th place overall.