Box | Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Senior Jake Burgio led all scorers with 19 points for the host Golden Flyers Friday as Nazareth cruised to a 96-65 men's basketball victory over Houghton in the team's final regular-season home game at the Kidera Gymnasium.

The Golden Flyers paid tribute to their six seniors -- Burgio, Chris Jones, Daniel Jacob, Tyler Stenglein and Brendan Wind and student manager Jake MacKinnon -- before Friday's game and the decisive victory extended their overall record to 18-5 and 12-2 in Empire 8 Conference play. Houghton dropped to 1-22 and 0-14. Nazareth has two regular-season games remaining -- Saturday at Elmira at 4 p.m. and Tuesday at Alfred at 7:30 p.m. Wins in those two games would guarantee the top seed and hosting honors for next weekend's E8 Conference Tournament.

The Golden Flyers had little difficulty Friday as they shot a blistering 58.7% (37-for-63) from the field with six three-pointers. Tyler Stenglein added 16 points, Jones added 14 with seven rebounds and junior Cody Green made all four of his field goal attempts to finish with 12 points. Jacob added nine points and Wind eight points with five assists.

Houghton stayed close in the opening minutes, before Nazareth's lead reached double digits at 26-15 following a basket by Kevin Underwood with 8:51 to go in the half. Green converted a three-point play with 4:00 to play to extend the lead to 17 points, 38-21, then Nazareth settled for a 42-29 lead at the break.

The Highlanders never seriously challenged in the second half as Nazareth was able to substitute freely. Green and Brendan Broderick each nailed two three-pointers in the second half and Jacob added another.

Stenglein's 16 points pushed his career total to 1,742 with the two regular-season games remaining. Burgio surpassed the 1,100-point mark and Wind is at 1,098.