UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team fought off a valiant effort from the visiting Hartwick College Hawks with a 78-69 win on Tuesday evening. 
 
Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) recorded his fifth double-double of the season with a team high 12 rebounds to go with 15 points. Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) tied Call for the team lead with 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting from the floor. Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) added 14 points and nine boards while Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) and Luke Bourgault (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) each poured in nine. 
 
As a unit, the Pioneers shot 46 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Hawks were limited to just 3-of-15 shooting from three-point territory but were able to narrowly out rebound Utica 42-38.  
 
The first 17 minutes of action remained tight as neither team could grow a lead greater than seven points. Hartwick, led by big man Henry Perkins in the paint, jumped out to an 8-3 lead before buckets by Brantley and Call, as well as free throw shooting by Thompson, trimmed the deficit to 11-9 with 15 minutes to play. 
 
It took until the 11 minute mark for Utica to garner its first lead as Liam Teague (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) helped turn a 17-15 Pioneer deficit into a 20-17 lead, going back-to-back with a fast break layup and a three-pointer. 
 
Over the next three minutes, the team increased its advantage to seven points and eventually 11 come 2:51 to go in the half. However, the Hawks chipped away to trail by six before a goaltending call at the buzzer allowed the Pioneers to enter the break ahead by eight. 
 
Both teams shot 60 percent-plus in the first half while Hartwick made its money on the glass, coming down with 24 rebounds to Utica's 17. 
 
The Pioneers maintained their lead through the rest of the half however, much like in the first, couldn't grow a double-digit lead. 
 
Hartwick remained chippy and in doing so, got within one point of Utica on two different occasions which came with 6:38 to play and 4:54 to play. Each time though the Pioneers answered back. Bourgault, Call, and Brantley combined for each of the team's final 15 points over the last 4:30 to deny the Hawks of the road upset win. 
 
Utica (14-2, 7-0 Empire 8) will remain home on Saturday to host Houghton University at 4 p.m. in its Real Men Wear Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Game.