Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team finished off its home stand on Saturday against Nazareth College. A strong second half by the Golden Flyers propelled the visiting team to the 81-66 win over UC.
 
Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) was extremely efficient on the offensive end in this one, putting up a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds on 8-for-10 shooting. Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) and Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) scored 12 each, coming off the bench for Utica. The loss snaps a three-game win streak for the Pioneers, who now hold a record of 10-8 overall and 4-5 in the Empire 8.
 
UC got off to a solid start, jumping out to a 12 point lead halfway through the first half. A big scoring run by Nazareth, capped off by a Cody Green 3-pointer at the buzzer, brought Utica's lead down to just one-point going into the mid-game break.
 
For the opening minutes of the second half, the teams traded blows with multiple lead changes occurring. It wasn't until the final five minutes of regulation where the Golden Flyers began to gain separation on the scoreboard, leading 72-62 with 4:32 on the clock. Nazareth's defense closed the game out, beating UC by a 15-point margin.
 
Tyler Stenglein put up a game-high 24 points to lead Nazareth, making 7-of-12 shots from the field and going 10-for-11 at the charity stripe. Jake Burgio finished with 11 points and six boards, while Zach Stenglein poured in 10 points off the bench. The Golden Flyers are now 14-3 overall and 8-0 in the conference.
 
The Pioneers will hit the road on Tuesday for a crucial Empire 8 rematch with St. John Fisher. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.