ELMIRA, NY - In a tight game all throughout, the Utica College men's basketball team held off the Elmira College Soaring Eagles for a 74-67 win on Saturday evening.
 
Elmira controlled the opening 10 minutes of the first half after jumping out to a quick 5-0 advantage. Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) started his 17 point night with Utica's first bucket of the game which was followed by a Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) three to draw even at five. Elmira would jump back out and hold a lead until just under 11 minutes left when Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) gave the Pioneers a lead it would not surrender for the rest of the half. 
 
UC would take a 38-37 lead into halftime before Elmira regained the lead in the first 30 seconds of the second. Much like in the first, the Pioneers quickly took the lead back, this time by way of Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Chris Green (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton), and would not give it up again. The Soaring Eagles kept the game within 11 points all second half and even came within one point with 5:51 left in the contest. 
 
Lufkin answered Elmira's run with back-to-back threes to give UC some breathing room at 69-62 with 3:20 to play. The teams traded baskets over the final minutes until Green iced the game from the free throw line to extend the team's winning streak to seven games. 
 
Utica was led in scoring by Lufkin who finished with 17 points with 15 coming from beyond the arc on 5-for-10 three-point shooting. Hopkins and Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) put up 11 points each while Coston and Morreale reached double digit points with 10 each. Morreale also led the Pioneers with seven rebounds and shared the team lead with Hopkins at three assists. 
 
UC (16-3, 9-1 Empire 8) is back in action on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hartwick College.