ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Junior Phil Scaffidi scored a career-high 26 points Saturday to lift host Nazareth to an 83-80 men's basketball victory over Utica in the Golden Flyers' season finale.
Nazareth finishes the season at 15-10 overall and evened its Empire 8 record at 8-8. Utica dropped to 13-11 oveall and 7-9 in conference games.
Scaffidi made 9 of 13 shots from the field, including two three-pointers and had eight rebounds and three steals. He was assisted by freshman Brad Ford, who had 18 points and eight rebounds, and junior Jason Corletta, who added 14 points.
Ford scored 14 of his points in the first half and Scaffidi added 12 as Nazareth raced to a 40-27 advantage. Nazareth's hawking defense caused 11 first-half turnovers as the Golden Flyers made seven steals.
Nazareth led by as many as 15 points in the second half before the Pioneers staged a rally. With Nazareth up 70-62 following a pair of free throws by Ford with 4:40 to go, Utica scored the 11 straight points to go up 73-70. A three-pointer by Will Abrams gave Utica its first lead at 71-70 since early in the game. Marion Lewis added two free throws on the Pioneers' next possession to make it 73-70.
Nazareth came back by getting a baseline jumper from Corletta and two free throws from Scaffidi to regain the lead. Corletta then went 4 for 6 from the free throw line in the game's final 24 seconds and Tyshun Stephens made two more free throws with :02 left to provide the difference.
Corletta fell one free throw short in his quest to break the single-season record for accuracy. He wound up 81 for 91 (.890). The record of .901 by Todd Calman has stood since the 1986-87 season.