UTICA, NY - For the second time in program history, the Utica University men's basketball team has captured the Empire 8 Championship and an automatic berth into the 2023-24 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. 
 
The Pioneers defeated the second-seeded Nazareth University Golden Flyers, 97-90, on Miga Court to be crowned the champions of the Empire 8 Conference. 
 
Experience paved the way for the Pioneers as Empire 8 Tournament MVP and graduate student, Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill), poured in 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the floor and 4-for-8 from downtown. Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was a menace around the rim with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go with a team high eight boards. 
 
Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added a second Empire 8 championship to his outstanding Utica career as he contributed 17 points (6-6 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT). Luke Bourgault (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) had 13 points and seven rebounds while Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) dropped 12. 
 
It would be Foley and Morreale who opened up the game with back-to-back three-pointers to give Utica a quick 6-0 edge. Nazareth would storm back trailing just 10-9 at the 14:27 mark as the team's offense heated up. Brantley canned a deep triple, yet the teams exchanged buckets knotting the contest at 20-20. 
 
Bourgault nailed a pair of triples to push the Utica lead to six yet the Golden Flyers responded with a three-pointer of their own to even the score at 36-36 late in the first half. Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) rose up for a pretty layup to give Utica a 40-38 edge after the first half.
 
The teams opened the second half with a pair of buckets and a Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) five-point scoring run gave Utica a 49-45 lead at the 16:38 mark. Brantley and Morreale hit some tough jumpers to push the Pioneers advantage to 59-51 at the 12:47 mark.
 
Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) and Brantley continued to hit clutch shots as the team led 68-56 with 9:19 remaining in the game. Utica's offense continued to be reliable, leading 75-62 yet Nazareth canned a pair of triples to cut the lead to just 75-70 at the 5:14 mark.
 
Foley and Brantley each converted huge three pointers to extend the lead to 81-72 with just over four minutes remaining. The Pioneers led 85-73 with under two minutes to play yet the Golden Flyers used an eight-point run to cut it to 92-89 with 27 seconds to play. Utica made its free throws with a Foley dunk sealing the 97-90 Empire 8 Championship victory.
 
Utica (24-3, 15-1 Empire 8) will turn their attention to the NCAA Division III tournament selection show at 1 p.m. on Monday. The show will be live streamed on NCAA.com.