Elmira, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team pulled out an important win on the road against Elmira on Friday. The Pioneers had a 56-point second half, as six players reached double-figures in the 82-71 victory.
Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) came up one board short of a double-double, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) led UC with 14 points, while teammate
Shawn Gashi (Central Square, NY/Bishop Grimes) put up 13 in the contest.
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to score 11, as
Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) and
Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) each added 10 points.
Balanced scoring was the scene from the get-go with Utica, as six players contributed to the team's 26 first half points. However, the hosting Soaring Eagles held a nine-point lead at halftime. Elmira's Justin Porrett led all scorers in the first half with 10 points to go with his six assists.
The Pioneers really got it going in the second half to turn the tides, as four players put up 10 or more points in the half. Utica shot an incredible 70.8% (17-for-24 FG) from the field in the second, including 6-of-7 from long range. The balanced and efficient scoring allowed the team to outscore Elmira by 20 points in the period, ultimately securing an 11-point win on the road.
UC shot its best percentage of the season from the field at 70.8%, which is well above its season average field goal percentage of 43.5%. Outside of the six double-digit scorers, four more Pioneers put up points in the contest to round out the full team effort on offense. The win pushes the team up to 12-9 overall and 6-6 in Empire 8 play as the final stretch of the regular season approaches.
Elmira is now 6-15 overall and 4-8 within the conference after losing its third game in a row. Shawn Backus led all scorers with 17 points, while teammate Justin Porrett tallied 16 points and eight assists.
Utica is on the road again on Saturday for a conference rematch against Nazareth College. The team looks to win its third straight, with tip-off set for 4 p.m.
