UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team handled the visiting Keuka College Wolves, 88-70, on Monday evening. 
 
With the win the Pioneers eclipsed the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season and also picked up their 13th Empire 8 win to remain in the race for the regular season crown. 
 
Five players finished with double-digit points in Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) (21 points, 6-9 FG, 4-4 3PT), Luke Bourgault (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) (12 points, 4-8 FG), Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) (11 points, 5-9 FG, seven rebounds), Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) (11 points, 4-9 FG), and Liam Teague (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) (10 points, 4-5 FG). 
 
Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill) also added eight points and nine rebounds while Ryan McCardle (Hurley, NY/Kingston) served up eight points off the bench on 2-of-3 shooting from three-point. 
 
Utica went wire-to-wire in the victory as the team opened the contest on a 15-0 run over the first four minutes of play. The team eventually grew its lead to 27 points by the end of the frame, taking a 50-23 lead into halftime. The Pioneers shot the lights out of the ball in the first half, going 53.33 percent from the field (16-30), 46.67 percent from three (7-15) and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. 
 
The Wolves remained competitive in a much improved second half for the team, however, could not trim the deficit to under 20 points. That was, until their final shot of the game which made it an 18 point Utica lead. 
 
The Pioneers remained solid from the field, shooting a hair over 50 percent in the second half to keep a comfortable distance. While Keuka outscored Utica 47-38 in the second half, there was too much damage done by the Pioneers for the Wolves to mount any comeback.  
 
Utica (20-3, 13-1 Empire 8) will remain home to host Alfred University at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.