ROCHESTER, NY - Regulation was not enough for two of the top Empire 8 teams over the past few seasons as the Utica University men's basketball team used a strong second half to force overtime against the Nazareth University Golden Flyers on Tuesday evening.
In the end, the Pioneers capped off their strong second half comeback to win the overtime thriller, 77-75
Damien Call recorded his second straight and fourth total double-double of the season with 19 points (6-13 FG, 6-7 FT) and 10 rebounds. Justice Brantley took over the game in the second half and overtime with 16 points combined to finish with a team high 20 points (8-14 FG) including the game-winning bucket with 23 seconds to go in OT. He also had seven rebounds. Dayion Thompson also reached double figures with 12 points. Griffin Barasa and Liam Teague were willing on the boards all night with six apiece.
Utica turned a 28 point first half that saw 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 14.3 percent from three into a 41 point second half shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 42.9 from deep to force an extra frame.
The sides paced the first five minutes of play with the largest lead being a five point Utica edge in the early stages. Trailing 13-8 with 14:40 to go in the half, the Golden Flyers went on the first large run of the contest, outsourcing Utica 10-2 in a four minute span to claim an 18-15 lead.
Eventually, that first half lead grew to 11 points with two minutes to play before free-throws by Thompson and Teague allowed the team to go into halftime down 37-28.
The Pioneers caught fire in the ensuing 20 minutes of play. Trailing 50-39 with 15 minutes to go, points in the paint from Thompson, Call and Hagen Foley trimmed the Nazareth advantage to five points at 50-45 approaching 11 to go.
Not much later trailing 54-49, Teague knocked down a quick jumper and, following a pair of Brantley free-throws, a game-tying three-point shot with under nine to play.
Neither team created much separation from there until a Foley three-pointer with under two minutes to go gave the Pioneers their first lead of the half. Refusing to back down, Jack Broderick and Luke Insley willed the Golden Flyers back in front, 69-67, with under 30 seconds to play.
With backs to the wall now, the ball went to Call inside who drew a foul on the floor to set up a one-and-one. The Rome, NY product cashed in on both attempts to even the score. With time running out, Insley attempted the game-winner for Nazareth but to avail as the game moved into overtime.
In the extra frame, Foley and Jalen Savage traded layups early on while a pair of Brantley free-throws propelled Utica back into the lead at 73-71 with three minutes on the clock. Once again, Broderick took the game into his own hands and evened the score at 73 all with two to play.
Luke Bourgault capitalized on an open lane to the rim and kissed the ball off the glass for two, regaining the lead for Utica at 75-73.
With 1:20 to go in OT, Barasa was called for a reach to send Jordan Haggard to the line for two shots. Haggard went on to hit both, tying the game at 75. The ensuing possession resulted in a Pioneer turnover however, Utica forced Nazareth into one of its own to take over on offense with 42 seconds on the clock.
Commanding the offense, Brantley created space in the paint for a turnaround jump shot that hit nothing but net for the 77-75 lead. A missed Nazareth layup on its next trip down the court forced the team to foul Thompson, who came up with the rebound on the miss.
However, Thompson missed the front end of the one-and-one with seven seconds to go, setting up the Golden Flyers for a desperation heave. Pushing the ball down the court, Haggard had a decent look from beyond the arc that went long, bouncing off the back of the iron and back onto the floor to complete the Utica comeback.
Utica (10-2, 3-0 Empire 8) will return to Miga Court on Saturday to host Keuka College at 4 p.m.