Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team hosted Morrisville State for some non-conference hoops action on Wednesday. The Pioneers improved to 3-3 on the season, defeating the Mustangs by a score of 87-74.
Despite early turnover troubles in the opening minutes of the first half, strong 3-point shooting gave UC a 13-6 lead with 12:54 on the clock. Morrisville made consecutive deep range shots to cut Utica's lead down to three points with less than eight minutes left in the period. The Pioneers were able to extend their lead with some solid shooting from the charity stripe, making the score 39-31 at halftime.
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) and
Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) combined for 17 first half points, shooting a combined 5-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc.
The Mustangs came out aggressive to open the second half, going on an 8-0 run in the first three minutes of play. The teams went back and forth as the score became tied at 59-59, with 11:33 remaining in regulation. The Pioneers went on a game-clinching 12-2 run in the span of 3:38 to take a 76-63 lead with just 4:37 left in the game. Solid free throw shooting down the stretch allowed UC to pull away and secure the 13-point victory.
Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) finished with a career-high 26 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor and went 13-for-18 at the foul line. Freshman
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) came off the bench on fire, shooting 5-for-8 from deep, and registering career-highs of 15 points and four assists.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) came up just shy of a double-double, with nine points and 12 rebounds.
Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) notched a season-high of 12 points off the bench, finishing 6-for-8 from the field.
Morrisville was led by Kevin Dennis, as he finished with a game-high 31 points on 11-for-17 shooting. Trent Ward added nine points, while Tyrin Miller scored seven for the Mustangs. The loss pushes the team's record down to 3-4 so far this season.
The Pioneers return to action on December 16th, as they travel to face-off against Montclair State University. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
