Men's Basketball | 2/12/2022 6:59:00 PM
UTICA, NY - With another electrifying crowd on hand at Miga Court and career outings from Kobe Lufkin and Chris Green, the Utica College men's basketball team (19-3, 12-1 Empire 8) cruised past St. John Fisher 18-6, 12-3 Empire 8), 72-46 on Saturday for its 10th consecutive win.
Fisher struck first in the game for a quick 2-0 lead, a lead that would serve as its only of the game. With the score even at six with 16:30 left, Green started the team's, and his own, scoring outburst with a jumper to give the Pioneers a lead it would not surrender.
UC would go on to lead by as many as 14 points in the first half, taking a 34-26 lead into the locker room thanks to the defense holding fisher to 25 percent shooting over the first 20 minutes of action.
The Cardinals came out swinging in the second half, scoring the first seven points before the Pioneer took over the driver's seat once again. From 18:30 to play until just over 13, Utica went on a 19-2 run with Lufkin and Green combining for all 19 points in the run. With under four to play and a 20-point lead, Lufkin sent the fans into a frenzy with three's on back-to-back possessions to give UC its largest lead of the game at 26. The Pioneers wouldn't slow down from there as they didn't let Fisher back within 20 points en route to a statement win at home.
Lufkin tallied a career-high 29 points on another career best seven three-pointers on 10 attempts. The guard shot 11-for-14 overall from the field and recorded five rebounds. Not to be overshadowed by Lufkin's performance, Green totaled 19 points, also a career-high for the senior, while coming down with four boards.
Down low for UC, Kimedrick Murphy grabbed 10 rebounds for the Pioneers while he and Thomas Morreale rejected four shots each. The two, along with Avery Coston, limited Fisher to 20 points in the paint. The perimeter defense of Darius Hopkins, Lufkin, Green and company held the Cardinals to just 25 percent shooting (16-62) on the evening.
With the win, the Pioneers won their third straight game against Fisher, marking just the second three-game winning streak the program has owned over the Cardinals and the first time since 1975-77.
UC will play its final home game of the regular season at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night against the Keuka College Wolves.