NEWBURGH, NY -- The Utica College men's basketball team rallied from a seven point deficit with 3:55 remaining and trailed by just two points with less than 30 seconds to go, but the Pioneers could not complete the comeback in a 53-49 loss to host Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday afternoon.  Utica's Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) registered his first collegiate double-double as he posted a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. 

Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) netted 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Utica, while freshman Jerome Brabham (Utica, NY/Utica Notre Dame) recorded nine points and six rebounds. Freshman Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) chipped in with eight points and junior Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) added four points and three rebounds off the bench for Utica. 

Gerard Nocera registered a game-high 19 points and five rebounds for the Knights, while Daniel Wolf posted 11 points and a game-high 13 boards. Mount Saint Mary improved to 4-3 overall on the season. 

The home team jumped out to a quick advantage and matched its largest lead of the contest, 15-5, after a 3-pointer from Connor Bacci 8:13 into the first half of play.  Utica was able to cut its deficit to just six points, 26-20, before the halftime horn sounded after back-to-back buckets from Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) and Strielkauskas. 

UC opened up the second half on a 10-4 run and knotted the score at 30-30 at the 16:35 marker after Strielkauskas drilled a 3-pointer.  The Knights then answered with a 9-0 run of its own and took a 39-30 lead with 13:42 remaining in regulation. The Pioneers trailed 43-34 with 12:19 left until using an 8-0 run in the next 3:48 to cut its deficit to 43-42 with 8:31 to go, after a jumper by Ayarza. 

MSM pushed its lead back to seven points with 3:55 to go and the Pioneers answered with one last run to cut into the lead, but their late rally fell short as the Knights came away with the four point victory. 

UC struggled from behind the arc, shooting 3-for-23 from 3-point range on the afternoon.  The Pioneers won the battle in the paint, outscoring the Knights 30-20 from close range in the contest.

Utica (0-8) returns to the hardwood on New Year's Eve when the Pioneers host local rival Hamilton College in non-league play at 2 p.m. The Pioneers, who are still in search of their first win of the season, have lost by five points or less in five contests this season.