UTICA, NY – The Utica College men's basketball lost to visiting Ithaca College 97-90 in Empire 8 Conference action at the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium on Saturday.  Utica senior point guard Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) became the 14^th player in program-history to join the 1,000 point club after his 15 point effort. Nevins now has 1,007 career points in 85 games played and he needs six more points to move into 13^th place all-time at UC. 

Utica senior Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) netted a career-high 33 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor as the Pioneers' record moved to 4-7 overall and 0-2 in Empire 8 play.  The Pioneers shot 63% from the floor but they could not overcome a 15-for-28 effort from 3-point land by the Bombers.

Ithaca (3-7, 1-1 Empire 8) was led by six different players who scored in double figures.  Junior guard Sam Bevan totaled a team-high 20 points, while Carlin Champion came off the bench and netted 16 points (4-of-7 from 3-point). 

The first 8:40 of the contest was back and forth, featuring three ties, and the score was set at 24-24 at the 11:20 marker.  Ithaca then used a 13-6 run in a span of 3:57 to take a 37-30 lead with 7:23 to go in the first half.  The final seven minutes of the first half was fairly even and the Bombers took an eight point advantage, 53-45, into the locker room. 

The visitors used a 13-6 run in the first 3:50 of the second half to take a 15 point lead, 66-51, with 16:12 to go. 

Utica would not go down without a fight and cut its deficit to just six points, 88-82, with 1:31 left after a 21-9 run in a span of 8:13.  Nevins, Maisch and Robert Tutein (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) sparked the late Pioneer rally with a combined 16 points.  The Pioneers shot 8-of-12 from the field in the run.  Tutein finished the day with 18 points for Utica after knocking down 5-of-8 3-point attempts. 

Utica's run eventually fell short as the Bombers hung on for the seven point victory.

Agim Hamiti (Prishtina, Kosovo/Syracuse Academy of Science) and Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) combined for 12 points while Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) added five points off the bench for the Pioneers.

Ithaca shot 62.7% from the floor on the afternoon.  Marc Chasin, Joe Masino and Keefe Gitto each registered ten points, while Max Masucci chipped in with 14 points.  Five different players hit at least two 3-pointers for the Bombers.

Utica returns to the hardwood on Tuesday when it travels to Stevens Institute of Technology for an Empire 8 contest at 8 p.m.