Men's Basketball | 1/11/2011 9:09:03 PM

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PITTSFORD, NY -- The RIT (6-7, 3-1 E8) men's basketball team dropped its first conference game of the season, losing to cross-town rival Nazareth College 79-71 on Tuesday night. The Tigers fall to 6-7 overall and 3-1 in the Empire 8.

RIT trailed by one point late in the half, but a 9-0 run by the Golden Flyers over the final 3:34 gave Nazareth the 11-point bulge at the break.

The Tigers closed the gap with an 11-4 run early in the second half. Anthony Terry (Rochester, NY/Bishop Kearney)'s three-pointer with 13:34 remaining cut the Nazareth lead to 49-45.

After a pair of free throws by junior guard Justin Heisig (Levittown, NY/Island Trees) with 7:56 to play in regulation cut the lead to four points, the Golden Flyers responded with a 10-4 run taing a 10-point with 4:28 to play.

The Tigers got to within five points of the Golden Flyers with 2:24 to play on a made free throw by Terry, but Nazareth converted their free throws down the stretch to close out the Tigers.

The Tigers shot 41.2% from the floor on 26-of-68 shooting. RIT was 3-of-15 from behind the arc and were 12-of-17 from the free throw line. Terry led RIT with 20 points and four rebounds. Korinchak added 16 points and three assists and Brendan Harder (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) 13 points and seven rebounds.

RIT committed just eight turnovers for the game and out-rebounded the Golden Flyers 38-29.

The Tigers return home on Friday, January 14 when they host Utica College. Tip-off at Clark Gym is at 8 pm.