MORRISVILLE, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team fell on the road to the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs 85-72 on Tuesday evening. 
 
Three Pioneers produced double-digit points in Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) (17 on 44.4 percent shooting), Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) (16 on 41.7 percent shooting) and Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) (16 on 63.6 percent shooting). Thompson and Call were also the team's top-two rebounders as Thompson totaled eight and Call seven. Call led the unit with three blocks on the night while Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) rejected a pair. Thompson also led Utica with four assists. 
 
The Mustangs held the slight advantage in field goal percentage, outshooting the Pioneers 52.9 percent (37-70 FG) to 48.3 percent (29-60 FG). The game all but came down to the advantage on the boards as Morrisville outrebounded Utica 38-26 including 9-5 on the offensive end of the floor. 
 
At the end of the first half, it would be Utica heading into the locker room with a slight 41-39 edge. The Mustangs began the half ahead 5-0 until the Pioneer offense answered back to go blow-for-blow. The team took its first lead of the opening frame on a Thompson layup with 13 minutes to play while neither side had a lead larger than five points throughout the rest of the half. 
 
The Pioneers' five point advantage came with 45 seconds to go in the first however, a prayer of a three-pointer for Morrisville's Jakhi Lucas was answered at the buzzer to send the game into half with Utica up by a pair. 
 
After the Mustangs opened the second with a quick three to take the lead, the Pioneers rattled off seven straight points thanks to layups by Call and Brantley followed by a Call three off a Morreale steak to lead 48-42. However, Morrisville answered right back to ensure the Utica lead grew no larger. 
 
In fact, the game was still well within two points at just under the 12 minute mark. Eventually the game found itself in a 64-64 deadlock with under 10 to play but from there, the Mustangs began to run wild. Offensive boards, second chance points and capitalizing on Utica turnovers led the hosts to pull away with the 13 point victory. 
 
Utica (1-1, 0-0 Empire 8) will remain on the road this week as the team travels to face Buffalo State at 7 p.m. on November 17.