With an electric home crowd on hand for what was the biggest game of the men's basketball season, the fans, and Pioneers, showed out for the team's 82-67 win over the No. 23 Nazareth Golden Flyers. 
 
Offenses started slow with the sides deadlocked at five points each through nearly the first six minutes of the half. Darius Hopkins' (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) quest for 1,000 points started strongly, scoring six of Utica's first 10 points. He would finish the half with 12 points, needing just eight over the final 20 minutes to hit the 1,000 point mark. 
 
With the score even at 21 and six minutes left in the first, UC went on a 13-5 run that ended with an Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) and-one with under one second left to enter the break up 34-26. The fans remained in the game as the teams came onto the court for the second half, energizing the Pioneers greatly. The Golden Flyers would start the half strong coming within one point through the first two minutes however, UC wouldn't allow the nationally ranked team back in the game from that point on. 
 
With 16:44 left, Hopkins drove the lane and hit a contested runner for his 1,00th point, also pushing Utica ahead 43-35. Clutch shooting by Hopkins, Coston, Chris Green (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton) and Damien Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) helped the team ice Nazareth by taking a 20-point lead with under seven to play. The Golden Flyers were unable to find any offensive rhythm with the stands rocking as the team put up just 10 points over the final five minutes. Utica controlled the final minute of the game, letting the clock run out for its most crucial win of the season to this point.
 
Hopkins and Coston led UC with 24 points each with Hopkins shooting 5-for-6 from deep and Coston 5-for-7. Green also shot 60 percent from the field in what was a 15 point outing for the senior. The Pioneers had one of its best three-point shooting games of the year, going 16-for-25 overall from beyond the arc. 
 
With the win, Utica now controls its own destiny in hosting the Empire 8 Conference Tournament in two weeks. 
 
UC (18-3, 11-1 Empire 8) will take on St. John Fisher at 4 p.m. tomorrow and before the game will honor its seniors.