Utica, NY (2/21/14) – The Utica College men's basketball team lost to Empire 8 rival Nazareth College 98-82 Friday night at the Clark Athletic Center.  Junior point guard Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) netted a team-best 22 points and added five assists, while Agim Hamiti (Prishtina, Kosovo/Syracuse Academy of Science) added a career-high 16 points for the Pioneers.

With the victory, the Golden Flyers improve to 18-7 overall and 10-4 in Empire 8 Conference games. Nazareth also clinched a spot in the upcoming Empire 8 Tournament, February 28th-March 1st. The Golden Flyers are currently in a tie for first-place with Stevens at 10-4 in Empire 8 games.

UC has lost three straight and its record dropped to 7-17 overall on the year. The Pioneers will wrap up their season on Saturday when they host Houghton College at 3 p.m.

The Pioneers trailed by 15 points early in the second half until they used a 40-25 run in a span of 11:43 to knot the score at 76-76 with 7:20 left in regulation. Utica shot 17-of-22 in the stretch and was 4-for-6 from 3-point land.  Hamiti paced the run for UC netting 14 of his 16 points throughout the Pioneers comeback bid.  Nevins also added 10 points in the stretch. 

But the Golden Flyers used a 22-6 run in the final 6:18 of the contest to secure the 16 point victory.   Naz was led by 29 points and ten rebounds from Brad Ford, while Utica native Maurice Mills chipped in with 13 points and seven rebounds.  Jack Giles also added 20 points and five assists for the Golden Flyers. 

The contest featured four ties, but just two lead changes, and the Golden Flyers held the lead for the majority of the contest (90.7%).  Naz's largest lead of the contest of 16 points came as the final horn sounded. 

Rich Smith (Albany, NY/La Salle Institute) was 3-for-4 from 3-point range for Utica, while Ian Henderson (Chateaugay, NY/Chateaugay) added eight points of his own.  Mike Howard came off the bench and scored five points. Mark Felicia (Phoenix, NY/Phoenix) also scored five points off the bench for the Pioneers.