Stevens 67, Utica 57 - Box Score

Hoboken, N.J. (1/28/2011) – The Utica College men's basketball team came on strong in the strong half but it proved to be too late as the Pioneers lost to host Stevens Institute of Technology, 67-57, in Empire 8 Conference action Friday night. Senior point guard James Patterson (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) led the way for UC with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.

UC has now lost three straight conference contests and evened its overall record at 8-8 on the season. The Ducks, who won seven straight games early on in the season, improved to 12-5 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

Each team started slow but the Ducks took the lead at 6-4 with 16:12 left in the first half and they never let the lead slip for the remainder of the contest. Stevens used a 10-2 run in the next three minutes to take a 16-6 lead with 13:08 to go in the half.

The Pioneers scored the game's next six points to trim the deficit to four points, 16-12, with 11:21 left in the half, but the Ducks fired back, going on a 9-1 run over a span of 2:58 to push the advantage to 12 points. On several occasions Utica was able to get the game back to single digits, but the Ducks eventually took a 12-point lead into the locker room.

Senior center Bryan Franklin gave Stevens its largest lead of the game (14 points) after two free throws early in the second and the two teams went back-and-forth over the next five-plus minutes as the Ducks were unable to deliver the knockout punch.

Utica sliced into the Stevens lead on several occasions, getting as close as five twice (49-44 and 53-48) but the Ducks always seemed to find a big shot. Up 53-48, with 4:21 showing on the clock, Stevens buried a long three from the right wing to push the lead back to eight, and after a Utica bucket on the next possession, a Duck's tip-in following a battle underneath took the wind out of the Pioneer sails and Stevens cruised to the win.

Senior forward Robert Whyte (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township) scored 15 points and added five rebounds for the Pioneers. Almir Gredelj (Utica, NY/Proctor) and Kevin Johnson each scored seven points off the bench for Utica.

The Pioneers shot 40.4 percent (19-of-47) from the floor on the evening.

UC returns to the hardwood on Tuesday night when it hosts Elmira for an Empire 8 contest at 8 p.m.

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