Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team hosted Cazenovia in its home opener on Monday night. The Pioneers improved to 2-2 on the season, earning the 75-68 victory over the Wildcats.
UC jumped out to an early 20-5 lead in the first five minutes of the contest. Cazenovia was able to regroup and cut the lead down to eight points with 9:21 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats went on an 11-2 run in just 2:14 to make the score 30-26, in favor of Utica, with less than three minutes left before halftime. The Pioneers entered the locker rooms with a 36-31 lead at the mid-game break.
With 17:38 on the clock in the second half
Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) nailed a 3-point shot that sparked a 9-2 run for Utica, making the score 47-37. A 10-4 run by Cazenovia, in the span of 3:13, brought UC's lead down to five points with less than ten minutes to play. The Wildcats shot well from the free throw line to cut the lead to just two points in the final three minutes of regulation. A clutch 3-pointer from
Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) and solid shooting at the foul line down the stretch, helped the Pioneers hang on for the seven point victory.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) led the way with a double-double, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds. Iton also had three blocks in the contest, which pushes him up to third all-time for career blocks (99) in program history.
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) also notched a double-double, with 10 points (4-for-4 FG) and 10 boards.
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) tallied 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while
Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) added 12 points of his own.
Wil Thompson led the Wildcats in scoring with 23 points, shooting 10-for-13 from the charity stripe. Jawaan Crouch recorded 14 points (2-for-2 3pt), while Cameron Wilson finished with five points, eight boards, and three blocks. The loss drops Cazenovia's record to 1-4 this season.
The Pioneers will be back on the court on Friday, as they travel to play Hamilton College. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
