Box Score Cortland 73, Utica 62 -
Box Score
CORTLAND, N.Y. (1/7/2012) – The Utica College men's basketball team cut their 20 point second half deficit to just eight with 7:22 to go but it proved to be too late as Cortland State earned a 73-62 victory in non conference play Tuesday night. Junior
Jeff Ward (Ossining, NY/Ossining High School) led the Pioneers with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and added six rebounds. Sophomore
Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) netted nine points, pulled down eight rebounds and registered three steals, and sophomore
Jevin McClendon (Poughkeepsie, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Junior Brian Manning matched his career high with 19 points to lead three players in double figures for Cortland. The Red Dragons have now won three straight and improved to 11-4 with the win, while the Pioneers fell to 4-11. Junior Jesse Winter added 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals for Cortland, and junior Jeremy Smith scored 14 points.
The Red Dragons took a 38-20 lead at intermission, holding Utica to 5-of-24 shooting (20.8 percent) from the field. Trailing 12-10 at the 8:39 mark of the opening 20 minutes, Cortland outscored the Pioneers 28-8 to close the half.
Cortland led by 20 points, 52-32, at 13:41 of the second half before Utica made a run to get back into the game, cutting the lead to 59-51 on a layup by Jeffers at 6:41. The Red Dragons pushed the lead back to double digits on a three-pointer by Winter and led 68-55 on junior Harrison Hefele's layup at the 3:46 mark. The Pioneers got no closer than eight points the remainder of the game as Cortland earned the win.
UC returns to the hardwood for a weekend set at home against Empire 8 Conference opponents Alfred and Elmira on Friday and Saturday. The Pioneers will take on the Saxons at 8 p.m. Friday night before hosting the Soaring Eagles at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
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