UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring visiting Nazareth 15-7 in the final 10 minutes, but it proved to be too late as the Golden Flyers earned the 59-55 Empire 8 Conference victory at the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. Utica's Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) led the Pioneers with 17 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) added 12 points and six rebounds of her own.

Utica's record moved to 6-10 overall on the year and 1-6 in the Empire 8, while Nazareth improved to 12-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play. Naz was led by 19 points, nine rebounds and five blocks from Lindsey Kelly, while Sam Sorge chipped in with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Golden Flyers.

The score was tied at 11-11 with 3:57 to go in the first quarter until Veronica Peck converted on a 3-pointer to cap a 10-4 run with 1:18 to go in the first quarter to give the visitors a 21-15 lead. 

The Pioneers then went on a 12-6 run to knot the score at 27-27 with 2:34 to go in the first half of play, but the visitors used a 6-2 run in the closing minutes of the first half to take a 33-29 lead into the locker room at the half.

Naz outscored UC 19-11 in the third quarter and led by as many as 14 points, 52-38, with 33 seconds to go in the third.

Utica answered with a 13-3 run to cut its deficit to as few as four points on three different occasions in the final minute, but that was as close as they would get as the Golden Flyers earned the 59-55 victory.

Utica sophomore Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) tallied 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Rachel Hunter (West Islip, NY/West Islip) came off the bench and posted eight points and six rebounds in the loss.

34 of the Pioneers 55 points came in the paint on the afternoon.

Utica hits the road on Wednesday when it travels to Oneonta, NY to take on Hartwick College in conference play at 8 p.m.