UTICA, NY - After a convincing 85-55 win against St.John Fisher last night, the Pioneers were looking to continue their form as they host conference rivals Nazareth University this weekend. They did just that as Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) scored 22 points and led the Pioneers to a memorable come-back victory. 
 
Thompson may have started off slow but once he got hot, the Golden Flyers could not cool him down. He shot 45 percent from the field, and on top of being the leading scorer, he registered five rebounds and two assists. Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was also a major factor in the come-back victory as he dropped 18 points, four assists, and a staggering 11 rebounds.
 
The Golden Flyers opened up scoring one minute into the game with a mid-range jump shot from Jaylen Savage. After going down by five points early on, Utica got on the board thanks to a layup from Call. With nine minutes left to go in the first half and after a five minute scoring drought from Utica, Isaiah Smith (Amsterdam, NY/Schalmont) was able to get an offensive rebound and score. Soon after, Smith would find the ball once again and knock down a corner-three bringing the score to 24-11 in favor of Nazareth.. The Pioneers struggled to get things going offensively, shooting 28 percent from the field, and could not slow down the Golden Flyers offense.Smith had a notable half, coming off of the bench and scoring nine points, registering two rebounds and one block. Call trailed behind Smith with six points. Call also logged one assist and four rebounds. At the end of the first half, Nazareth led 45-23.
 
One minute into the second half, freshman Jordan Cain (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) was able to drive past his defender and make the contested lay-up for the first bucket of the half. With 16 minutes left, Call brought some energy as he got the ball on the fast break and made the lay-up despite being fouled. He was not able to convert the free throw. Utica was able to gain some momentum with 11 minutes to go, as Iggy Izevbuwa (Staten Island, NY/Port Richmond High School) scored his second basket of the game and made a huge defensive stop on the other end. Going the other way, Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) hit his first three of the game. Utica then managed to make another defensive stop, and Thompson was able to score again, this time being a step back for two. With nine minutes left to go, the Pioneers brought the deficit down to 11 points thanks to a 10-point run, forcing Nazareth to slow things down with a time-out. Thompson did not let the timeout slow him down, right after Nazareth restarted the game, he picked off a pass and converted on the fast break, with Utica down by nine.Savage was able to end the Pioneer's 12 point run as he was fouled on the shot and scored both free throws. Smith answered with a three of his own, bridging the gap to just 8 points. On the defensive end, Utica made another stop, leading Thompson to score yet again in transition with seven minutes to go. In the Pioneer's next possession, Hagen Foley (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) was able to get by his defender with a quick crossover and scored the contested shot, forcing Nazareth to call another timeout. With 3 minutes left to go, Utica kept the pressure up as they picked off a pass, got the ball to Thompson and he hit another three pointer, making the game a one possession affair. After yet another defensive stop by the Pioneer's, Foley scored again, tying the game. This was the first time that Nazareth did not hold the lead since the start of the game. Izevbuwa got the ball in the post and was able to get the open look, scoring his fifth point of the game and putting the Pioneers in the lead for the first time with just 2 minutes left to go. From then to the final buzzer, both times took turns in the lead until a jumper by Devon Flynn (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) tied the score 70-70 sending the game into overtime. 
 
Call started off overtime hot as he won the tip-off, got the ball back and drove to the rim making the contested field goal, putting the pioneers back in the lead. Flynn was next to score putting the Pioneers up four. Utica held on to the lead until the Golden Flyers were forced to stop time with fouls. And with clinical free throw shooting from Cain and Thompson, the Pioneers, after being down by 26 points earlier in the day, came out on top, winning 87-77. 
 
Utica (13-7, 7-4 Empire 8) returns to action on Friday, February 7 as the team travels to take on the Hartwick College Hawks. Tip off from Oneonta, NY is set for 7:30pm.