Box Score HOUGHTON, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team tied a program record 8-0 start in Empire 8 play after its 83-70 road win against the Houghton University Highlanders on Friday night.
Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) continues to stay hot as he led the team with 19 points and finished tied for a team best eight rebounds. His 19 points gives him 999 for his career, leaving him one shy of becoming the 17th player in program history to reach 1,000.
Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) was the only other double-digit scorer on the Pioneers after a 16 point performance. His eight rebounds tied Morreale and
Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) for the team high.
Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian),
Griffin Barasa (Clearwater, FL/Calvary Christian) and
Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) each totaled nine points on the evening as well.
The Highlanders stormed hot out of the gate looking to upset the Empire 8 leading Pioneers. Following a Morreale three-pointer to start the game, Houghton scored the next two buckets to go up 5-3. From there, the hosts either held a lead or remained even with Utica from the 18:17 mark in the first up until 4:43 to play in the opening half.
With the score 30-30, Barasa knocked down a triple to give Utica its first lead since Morreale's opening bucket. Houghton remained close, however, as the team found itself up 41-40 with 17 seconds to play. After Morreale missed a three-pointer with under five seconds left,
DJ Harter (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent) put himself in position for a tip-in in the final seconds to give the Pioneers a 42-41 lead at halftime.
Utica, led by Coston's shooting, opened the second half on a 9-0 run. Coston drained back-to-back-back threes to give Utica its largest lead of the night at the time, 51-41, which led to a Highlanders' timeout. Houghton kept itself around throughout the remainder of the half however, Utica would not allow the team to come close to regaining the lead. The Pioneers' strong second half finished the job and kept the team unbeaten in league play.
Utica (13-2, 8-0 Empire 8) remains on the road as the team will turn around to take on Medaille University on Saturday in the first-ever Empire 8 meeting between the teams. Tip-off from Buffalo, NY is set for 4 p.m.
