By: Utica College Pioneers Release
The Utica College men's basketball team turned in a balanced offensive showing, and a dominant defensive effort for their first win of the 2021 season. The Pioneers led 34-18 at halftime, and pulled away at a scorching pace in the second half as they topped host Elmira College by an 82-44 score in an Empire 8 Conference game at Elmira's Spiedel Gymnasium.
The win places Utica at 1-0 overall, and in conference. The Pioneers won their season opener for a fourth consecutive year. Elmira falls to 0-3 overall, and has the same record in the Empire 8 conference.
Defense was the order of the day for UC in holding Elmira to just 44 points. Elmira was held to just 25 percent shooting from the field, and 15 percent from beyond the arc. The Soaring Eagles had just 25 points to their credit with 11 minutes remaining in the contest as the Pioneers routinely found ways to elaborate on their halftime lead. The Pioneers also helped induce 17 Elmira turnovers, and scored 26 points off of those turnovers. As a team, UC had six blocked shots, with two coming by way of center Kimedrick Murphy. Murphy also had ten rebounds to lead the Pioneers in that category.
The Pioneers had four players finish in double figure point totals on the offensive end. Kobe Lufkin and Justice Brantley each had twelve points. Lufkin was 4-for-4 from the field. Freshman Damien Call potted eleven points in his collegiate debut, and 2019-20 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Thomas Morreale started his sophomore season with ten points to go with a team-best three steals. Utica got fourteen players into the game, and twelve of them had at least one point. Utica totaled 54 points in the paint to Elmira's 24, and shot 57.9 percent from the field.
Isiah Charles led Elmira with nine points.
After a fairly even start, the Pioneers broke open a two point game by going on a tear during the latter stages of the first half. They outscored the Soaring Eagles by a 24-10 margin over the final 11:49 of the first half to establish a firm double-digit lead they would never relinquish. Darius Hopkins led all Pioneers with nine points in the first half in a frame where eight different members of the team got on the board.
Brantley and Lufkin fueled the Pioneers to run away with the game in the second half, as Brantley posted ten points in just ten second half minutes, and Lufkin added another nine points. Utica outscored Elmira 48-26 in the latter half of the game to secure the 82-44 win.
Utica has now won twelve straight matchups with Elmira.
The Pioneers will return to the floor on Friday night as they battle Empire 8 newcomer Keuka College in Keuka Park, NY. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.