Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team took down Elmira College at home, 75-70, to close out the 2018-2019 season with a win. Freshman Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) led the way with 22 points, seven assists, and six rebounds as the team finishes with a 14-11 record overall and an 8-8 mark in conference play.
 
Hopkins was the top scorer in the game for UC, partially thanks to his 8-for-9 shooting at the foul line. Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) and Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) combined for 22 points, while senior Justin Mayers (Hastings, NY/Hastings on the Hudson) added 12 of his own in the final game of his career. Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) shot a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc to finish with nine points.
 
The contest was close in the early goings, and it stayed that way through the final horn with neither team holding a double-digit lead at anytime in the game. Utica held a slight advantage in the first half, holding an 18-12 lead nearly halfway through the period. The score became tied at 34-34 with less than two minutes remaining until halftime. Justin Mayers (Hastings, NY/Hastings on the Hudson) was the team's top scorer with nine points in the first half, as Utica entered the locker rooms with a 35-34 lead.
 
Sparked by Henry Cuffee's scoring, Elmira was able to take the lead in the second half. With 11:20 on the clock, the visiting Soaring Eagles were up 54-46. However, Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) found a rhythm and scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half of play. Hopkins scored on back-to-back possessions to retake a 70-69 lead with less than two minutes left in regulation. Multiple clutch free throws, paired with a huge block on defense by Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) helped put the game away, giving UC the five-point victory at home.
 
Elmira was led by Henry Cuffee, who ended up with 22 points and five rebounds in the game. Shawn Backus poured in 16, and Jeremy Every contributed 11 points off the bench. With the loss, the Soaring Eagles will finish the year with a 7-18 record overall and a 5-11 record against Empire 8 foes.
 
The Pioneers finish season number three under Head Coach Sean Coffey, who has steered the program to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in a decade.