Union 89, Utica 80 - Box Score

Schenectady, N.Y. (12/16/2010) - The Union College men's basketball team shot an incredible 70.4 percent from the floor (19-of-27) in the second half on its way to an 89-80 victory over visiting Utica College Tuesday night. Four different Pioneers scored in double figures including senior guard James Patterson (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) (22 points), sophomore Kevin Johnson (17), junior Almir Gredelj (Utica, NY/Proctor) (11) and senior Will Abrams (Somerset, NJ/Rutgers Prep School) (10). Patterson also dished out six assists and added two steals for the Pioneers (6-3).

Union (5-1) knocked down 12 3-pointers on the day and the Dutchmen were led by Justin Gallo's game-high 29-point effort. Kevin Donohue also added 20 points and five reboubnds.

It was a tale of two halves as the Pioneers held a slim lead for the majority of the first half until the Dutchmen went on a 20-8 run over the course of 7:20 to open the second half and take their only double digit lead of the contest, 56-46.

Utica was able to cut that margin to as few as three points, 76-73, with 4:32 remaining but that was as close as the Pioneers would get as they lost their second straight contest.

Alex Meyer (Salt Point, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) provided an excellent spark of the bench for the Pioneers as he grabbed ten rebounds, scored eight points and blocked three shots. Sophomore Jeff Ward (Ossining, NY/Ossining High School) scored six points and snagged six rebounds, while senior Robert Whyte (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township) added four points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor.

The Pioneers return to action after the semester break when they host St. John Fisher College for a key conference game on the hardwood at the Clark Athletic Center on Jan. 7, 2011. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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