Utica, NY (12/31/2013) – The Utica College men's basketball team used a 10-3 run in the final 3:40 of the contest to come from behind and secure a 71-67 victory over visiting Cortland State on the hardwood at the Clark Athletic Center Tuesday afternoon. 

Utica returned from a three week rest and picked up where it left off as the Pioneers won their third straight game (4-of-5) to improve their record to 5-3 on the year headed into a key Empire 8 Conference opener on the road at Stevens Institute of Technology Friday night (6 p.m.).  UC wrapped up its three game home stand with a perfect 3-0 record and the Pioneers remain undefeated at the friendly confines of the Clark Athletic Center this season.

After starting the season 4-0, Cortland has now lost three straight and dropped its record to 4-3 on the year.  The Red Dragons where led by senior forward Garen Spendjian, who netted a season-high 30 points and snagged seven rebounds.  Spendjian was a near perfect 5-for-6 from 3-point land and 12-for-15 overall from the floor on the afternoon.   No other Red Dragon managed double-figures. 

Utica featured a more balanced attack with five players scoring at least eight points.  Marion Lewis (Bronx, NY/Lehman) and Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) each led UC with a team-best 14 points, while Ian Henderson (Chateaugay, NY/Chateaugay) provided a nice lift off the bench with a career-best 12 points (4-of-6 from 3-point land).  Reserve Mark Felicia (Phoenix, NY/Phoenix) also contributed with nine points (3-of-4 shooting), while Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) added eight of his own. 

The Pioneers led for the majority of the contest, but a 10-2 run in a span of 2:23 late in the second half pushed the visitors to their largest lead of the game, 64-61, with 3:42 to go.  That's when UC responded with its game-winning rally, as Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) and Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) came on strong, registering four points apiece in the final 2:24 of regulation.

The game featured seven lead changes and six ties, but the Pioneers managed to gather the lead for 72% of the contest (28:47).  Utica's largest lead was 18-7 early in the first after a crushing 16-2 run in a span of 5:10. Mark Felicia (Phoenix, NY/Phoenix) and Ian Henderson (Chateaugay, NY/Chateaugay) fueled the Pioneers' early push with six points apiece and the Utica defense held the visitors to 1-for-10 from the floor in the stretch. 

Cortland answered with a 13-5 run in the next 4:22 of the first half to cut UC's lead to 23-20 with 6:08 to go in the first half of play. It was back and forth for both teams for the remainder of the first half and Utica entered the locker room with a five point advantage, 36-31.

Trailing by four, 43-39, just over three minutes into the second half, the Red Dragons used a 9-3 spurt to earn a 48-46 lead with 11:18 to go.  Terrence Felder led the charge for the visitors with six points in the stretch.  Felder finished the afternoon with nine points. 

Utica answered with another run of its own, as the Pioneers outscored Cortland 8-2 in a stretch of 3:24 midway through the second half to take a 54-50 lead with 7:54 to go in the contest. 

Cortland was able to rally to take a three points lead, 64-61, with 3:42 left, but that's when the Pioneers used their final run of the game to secure the key non-conference victory. 

Big man Marty Felicia (Phoenix, NY/Phoenix) netted five points and added seven rebounds for the Pioneers, while freshman Agim Hamiti (Prishtina, Kosovo/Syracuse Academy of Science) added eight rebounds, but was held to 0-for-6 from the floor. 

Utica hits the road this weekend as it opens up Empire 8 play beginning with Stevens on Friday night in Hoboken, NJ, before finishing the road trip at Hartwick College on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.).  Cortland will travel to the Catholic University Tournament in Washington, D.C. this weekend and the Red Dragons will open up with Catholic on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.