Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team lost to Nazareth on Tuesday, 84-76. The Pioneers are now 10-9 overall this season and 5-5 against Empire 8 opponents.
 
The two teams went back and forth for most of the first half, as the score was tied 21-21 with 11:15 on the clock. A quick 7-0 run from UC in just 1:22 gave the team a 28-21 lead with less than 10 minutes left until halftime. The Golden Flyers kept it close, as 3-point play from Kevin Underwood cut Utica's lead to just one point with 1:15 remaining in the half. A basket from Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) provided the Pioneers with a 43-40 lead at the mid-game break. Strielkauskas was the game's top scorer at halftime, tallying 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the floor.
 
Early on in the second half, Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) scored seven straight points for Utica to give the team a five point lead with 16:28 left in regulation. The team's traded baskets during a four minute stretch in the half, which featured nine lead changes. Nazareth put together a 9-2 run, in order to take a 71-65 lead with 7:14 remaining in the game. The Pioneers kept it close, trailing by just three points with 1:59 left, but were unable to get over the hump. The Golden Flyers were solid at the free throw line during crunch time, to help secure the eight point win.
 
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) finished the game with 14 points and eight rebounds to lead UC. Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) tallied 14 points and five rebounds, while Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) came away with nine points and five blocks. Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) shot 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, as he poured in nine points.
 
Tyler Stenglein recorded a game-high 24 points, to go with his three steals and two blocks. Jake Burgio posted a double-double in the win, ending the contest with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Brendan Wind tallied 14 points and four assists, while Daniel Jacob added 11 points off the bench. The Golden Flyers improve to 13-6 overall and 10-2 in E8 play.
 
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday, as they play host to Houghton College. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.