ITHACA, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team defeated Ithaca College 82-71 on Monday night to collect an impressive team win.
 
Utica had very balanced scoring with four players pouring in more than 16 points on the evening. Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) was incredible and stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block. Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was outstanding, scoring 17 points and hauling in a new career-high 15 boards with three steals, three assists, and one block.
 
Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) continues to be a prime scorer for the Pioneers dropping 18 points with eight rebounds and three steals. Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christain Brothers Academy) scored a new Pioneer career-high 16 points and was very efficient shooting 6-for-10 while adding two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
 
Ithaca held a brief 3-0 lead to begin the game and extended it to a 9-4 edge at the 16:10 mark. Utica started to claw back, tying the game twice before taking its first lead at 17-15 at the 12:02 mark of the first quarter.
 
The game was tied at 17-17 yet a 7-0 scoring run by the Pioneers gave them a 24-17 advantage halfway through the frame with Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christain Brothers Academy) pouring in five points during the run. The Bombers tied the game again at 26-26 yet Utica ended the half on an incredible 14-0 run to lead 40-26 at the end of the first half. The Pioneers spread the ball well with Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy), Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill), Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), and Luke Bourgualt all scoring during the run with the team's defense turning up forcing seven-straight misses and one turnover during the stretch.
 
Ithaca used a quick four point run to open the second half trimming the lead back to single digits yet layups by Thompson and Brantley gave Utica a 47-33 edge just over three minutes into the quarter. The duo of Foley and Thompson were shining with Thompson dishing two fine assists to Foley who dropped three-straight buckets for the Pioneers with the team leading 54-37 about five minutes into the half.
 
The Bombers hit a few buckets yet the Pioneers offense remained relentless scoring at will with its lead not dipping to single digits until it led 64-55 at the 9:07 mark. Ithaca used a small run to trail just 65-58 at the 6:39 mark and continued to press trailing just 69-64 with five minutes to go.
 
Yet, Utica played phenomenal down the stretch to hold on for an 82-71 victory and earn its third-straight victory by double digits.
 
Utica (4-1, 0-0 Empire 8) will travel to face Houghton University on Saturday, December 2 at 4 p.m. in its first conference matchup of the season.