Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team defeated Stevens, 75-71, in overtime on Saturday at home. Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining)'s 29 points, 11 rebounds, and eight blocks led the way, as UC secured the No. 3 seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament.
 
In the second half, the Pioneers trailed Stevens by 14 points with only 15 minutes remaining in regulation. Utica went on a 9-0 run in the span of 3:32, making the score read 55-48 in favor of Stevens with 6:05 left on the clock. Iton scored five straight points down the stretch, helping to narrow the Ducks' lead to just three points in the final minute of the second half. With just six seconds left, Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) nailed the game-tying 3-point shot to send the game to overtime. With just two minutes left in overtime, Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) hit a long range bomb to give UC a 70-69 lead. Remley would go on to make clutch free throws down the stretch, as the Pioneers complete the comeback with a four-point overtime victory.
 
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) finished with 29 points (9-for-14 FG, 11-for-16 FT), 11 rebounds, and a season-high of eight blocks. Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) scored nine points off the bench (3-for-3 3-pt), including the clutch shot to send the game to overtime. Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) and Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) both poured in eight points in the win. The Pioneers finish the regular season 16-9 overall and 11-5 in the E8, as they return to the Empire 8 Tournament for the second consecutive season under Head Coach Sean Coffey.
 
The Ducks had control of the game early on in the first half, going up 15-6 with 12:52 on the clock. Stevens continued its strong shooting, as the team extended its lead to 20 points with just 4:42 until halftime. UC fought back, outscoring its opponent 13-4 in the final minutes of the second half. The Pioneers entered the locker room looking at an 11-point hole to comeback from.
 
Spencer Cook led Stevens with 19 points and eight rebounds in the contest. Jayson Winick put up 10 points and eight rebounds, while Michael Zignorski poured in 12 points off the bench. The Ducks finish the regular season with an overall record of 18-7 to go with a conference mark of 12-4.
 
The Pioneers will now prepare for the Empire 8 Conference Tournament, hosted by Nazareth, next weekend. As the No. 3 seed, UC is set for another meeting against No. 2 Stevens on February 23rd at 8 p.m.