Box Score ONEONTA, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team beat the Hartwick College Hawks 94-60 on Saturday night. The win was the second straight Empire 8 victory for the team and kept its season undefeated at 5-0.
 
Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) both hit three-pointers to give the Pioneers a quick 6-0 lead just over one minute into the game. Morreale and Brantley each recorded another bucket as Utica was quickly up 13-1. Morreale continued to be a presence down low as he had 12 points in the first seven minutes of the contest to guide Utica to a 22-6 edge. 
 
The Pioneers continued to score at will and took a 54-26 advantage into the break. Utica shot an impressive 64.7 percent from the field in the first half including 10-15 from beyond the arc. The Pioneer defense held Hartwick to 32.1 percent from the field and just 26 points in the first half. Morreale led the team with 17 points at the half followed by Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) with 12. Griffin Barasa (Clearwater, FL/Calvary Christian) had a terrific first half setting up his teammates as he compiled six assists.
 
Utica continued to have its way on offense as the team continued to produce points. A trio of three-pointers from Hopkins and Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) had the Pioneers out to a 69-38 edge just six minutes into the second half. The entire team was contributing, and the team was firing on all cylinders. The Pioneers cruised to a 94-60 victory, and it was the team's second straight Empire 8 win.
 
Morreale led the team in scoring with 21 points including shooting 60 percent from the field. Morreale also collected a season-high ten boards and recorded his first double-double of the season. Hopkins scored 18 points and Brantley poured in 16 of his own. Brantley has been a key offensive player for the Pioneers this season as he has scored double digit points in all five games this season. Utica's bench contributed plenty as Thompson, Luke Bourgault (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute), and Liam Teague (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) all filled the stat sheet. 
 
Utica finished the contest shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Pioneers cleaned up on the glass, out rebounding Hartwick 43-29 and poured in 42 points in the paint. 
 
Utica (5-0, 2-0 Empire 8) will travel to Clinton, NY to face Hamilton College on December 8 at 7 p.m.