ALFRED, NY  -- Five Utica College men's basketball players scored in double figures as the Pioneers earned an 81-75 victory over host Alfred University in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon. The score was tied on 16 different occasions, including nine times in the second half, and the lead changed hands 19 times in the back and forth contest.  Alfred tied the game up for the last time after an Eric Adams jumper with 1:19 left in the contest, but the Pioneers held the Saxons scoreless in the final minute, and senior point guard Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) knocked down four clutch free throws down the stretch to deliver the six point victory for Utica. 

Utica's Robert Tutein (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) led the Pioneers with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, while Nevins chipped in with 16 points and seven assists in the victory. Freshman forward Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) added 13 points and five rebounds, while Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) and Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) each chipped in with 12 points apiece.  Jeffers also hauled in eight rebounds. 

Utica (5-9, 1-4 Empire 8) snapped a four game losing streak and handed Alfred (9-4, 3-2 Empire 8) just its second loss in conference play this year. Utica's high-paced offense proved its worth as the Pioneers outscored the Saxons 20-2 on fast break opportunities. The Pioneers also snapped the Saxons two game Empire 8 winning streak with the victory.

A 6-0 run by Utica in a span of 2:10 gave the Pioneers their largest lead of the first half, 17-12, just 5:38 into the contest.  The Saxons answered right back with an 11-2 run in the next 4:27 to take a four point advantage, 23-19, midway through the first half of play.

The Saxons maintained their four point lead with 4:03 left in the first half until the Pioneers used a 10-2 run to take a 40-36 lead with 49 ticks left on the first half clock.  The home team scored a bucket before the half to make it a two point contest, 40-38, as the teams headed into the locker room for intermission. 

With the score set at 53-53 with 13:07 to go the Pioneers went on a 7-0 run, capped by three straight free throws from Maisch, to give Utica its largest lead of the game (60-53) with 10:20 left in regulation.  Alfred would not go down easy as the Saxons answered with an 8-0 run of their own to take a 61-60 lead with 7:59 left. 

The scored changed hands four times in the next three minutes until Maisch hit a clutch 3-pointer with 4:01 left on the clock to give Utica a 71-68 lead.

The Pioneers outscored the Saxons 10-7 in the final four minutes to earn the key conference victory. 

Sophomore Agim Hamiti (Prishtina, Kosovo/Syracuse Academy of Science) got the start for Utica and totaled five rebounds and three points, while Griffin Kelly (Watervliet, NY/Watervliet) and Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) added three points each as well.

Alfred was led by a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds from Dalton Walsh while Kevin McFall added 14 points and six boards off the bench. 

Utica returns home on Friday when the Pioneers host Houghton College for an Empire 8 Conference contest at 8 p.m.