UTICA, NY – The Alfred University men's basketball fell to Utica College in Empire 8 action Tuesday evening 62-61, as a late lay-up lifted Pioneers past the visiting Saxons.
The Saxons (5-8, 2-2 Empire 8) got off to a tough start as the Pioneers opened up on a 9-3 run to open up the game. Sophomore guard
Scotty Stopera (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) connected on a three-point shot to cut the lead to two at the 16:17 mark before Utica's
Hunter Remley hit back-to-back threes for Utica to give his team a 17-9 lead five minutes into the game. Alfred tied the game at the 11:23 mark, with a hoop by junior guard
Nick Schmidt (Olean, NY/Olean) squaring things up at 21 apiece.
The Saxons gained their first lead of the game when freshman guard
Sam Dagon (Hornell, NY/Hornell) hit a three with 8:43 left to play in the half to give AU a 26-25 advantage. Utica closed out the half on a 17-9 run to give them a 38-30 edge going into intermission.
Utica extended its advantage as
Justin Strielkauskas made two free throws to give the Pioneers a 10-point advantage early in the second half. Alfred would chip away at the deficit, and senior guard
Tyler Seelman (Lorton, VA/Hayfield Secondary) cut the lead to one after his layup with 8:22 left in the game. Senior forward
Tristin Hook (Red Bank, NY/Middletown North ) tied the game up at 50 with six minute left, and Alfred went on a 6-0 run in the closing minutes as Seelman converted on four straight free throw attempts to give the Saxons a 61-59 lead with 1:09 left to play.
Bennito Ayarza cut the Saxon lead to one as he made one of two free-throw attempts with under a minute left in the game, before
Miles McNeill made scored the winning points on a layup with 15 seconds remaining in regulation.
Stopera led the way for the Saxons with 12 points, with Hook
adding 10 points to go with seven rebounds. Remley and
Ivan Iton each scored a game-high 17 points for Utica. Alfred held the advantage in bench scoring, 28-16, as wells as second-chance points, 17-7. Utica held the slight edge in points off turnovers, 13-10.
The Saxons play next on Friday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m. at Empire 8 foe Hartwick.
