Men’s Basketball snaps losing streak with Senior Day win over Alfred State

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University men's basketball snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 62-59 victory over Alfred State College at Donahue Pavilion Saturday afternoon.

Prior to tip-off, the Celtics (4-20, 3-13 AMCC) celebrated four student-athletes for Senior Day: Riley Comforti, Nehemiah Brazil, Devin Lewis and Nate O'Savage.

The 2025 seniors with their families and the team. Photo by Ava Neugebauer.

Carlow outrebounded the Pioneers (3-22, 2-14 AMCC) 46-33 and outscored them 30-5 off the bench.

Riley Comforti (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland HS) led the Celtics with a game-high, double-double 15 points and 16 rebounds. Devin Lewis (Warrenton, Va./Fauquier HS/Pitt Bradford) contributed 10 points, and Adnan Sbai (Camp Hill, Pa./East Pennsboro Area HS/Seton Hill University) added 10 points, four assists and three steals off the bench. Nehemiah Brazil (Pittsburgh, Pa./Nazareth Prep HS) and Byron Gaskins (Woodbridge, Va./Christ Chapel Academy) contributed five and four assists, respectively.

The Pioneers overcame a 10-point deficit early in the second half to tie the game at 45-all. Alfred State tied the score twice more before gaining a two-point lead over the Celtics, 53-51. The Pioneers broke up a four minute scoring draught for both teams with a free throw that put them ahead, 54-51.

The teams traded leads for the next five minutes, and Sbai came up with a big block on a three-point attempt with 1:06 on the clock to keep the game tied at 58-all. A missed free throw by the Celtics and a Carlow foul following the subsequent Alfred State timeout put the Pioneers at the line, where they missed the first but made the second to give Alfred State a 59-58 advantage.

Carlow burned a timeout and had to call another shortly after a rebound tied up on the ground and a jump ball was not called.

With Carlow in the double bonus, a foul on the floor saw Jimmy Giannetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Saint Joseph HS) at the line, who sank both to put the Celtics ahead 60-59 with 15 seconds left in regulation.

Following another Alfred State timeout, the Pioneers missed a jumper, and Comforti ripped down the rebound and was immediately fouled. At the line, Comforti drained both foul shots with just a little over one second remaining on the clock to seal Carlow's victory.

The Celtics outscored Alfred State 37-32 in the first half and 28-24 in the paint. The Pioneers scored 15 points off 16 Carlow turnovers on the day.

Dylan Perry and Darius Cunningham Jr. led the Pioneers with 14 points each. Mason Putnam and Michael Miller contributed 12 points apiece.