UTICA, NY - For the second year in a row, the Utica men's basketball team will be heading to the Empire 8 Championship game as the top-seeded Pioneers defeated fourth-seeded Alfred University 75-70 in the E8 semifinal Friday evening.
 
Utica led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Saxons battled back to bring the game within two at halftime. The Pioneers did not trail at all in the second half however, Alfred kept the game within single digits until a Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) three-pointer with 5:13 left pushed the Utica lead to 11. By the time the Saxons were able to come back within six points, a pair of free throws by Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) with 10 seconds remaining put the game out of reach for good to advance the Pioneers to the E8 championship. 
 
The Pioneers were led by senior Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) who netted 20 points, including 6-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe. Morreale netted 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting while also finishing as the team's second-leading rebounder with six boards. Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) grabbed 10 of Utica's 27 rebounds and also recorded seven points and three blocks in the win. Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) also contributed 11 points. 
 
With the win, Utica improves to 23-3 on the year, tying the program's single-season wins record set by the 2006 version of the Pioneers.  Utica will face Nazareth College in the championship game on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m. from the friendly confines of Miga Court.