MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The Morrisville State men's basketball team fell behind 44-29 at the half to visiting Utica College Saturday afternoon and were unable to recover as they dropped the non-conference battle by an 80-70 final decision on the Mustangs home court in Morrisville.
THE BASICS:
• Final Score: Utica 80, Morrisville 70 (halftime: Utica 44, Morrisville 29)
• Location: Morrisville, N.Y.
• Records: Utica 5-1, Morrisville 5-3
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
• Visiting Utica College used a 9-0 run over the final 2:27 of the opening half Saturday to break open a 44-29 halftime lead over host Morrisville State, a lead that wouldn't be relinquished as the Pioneers collected the non-conference win.
• Morrisville State shot 33.3% from the floor in the opening half, while the Pioneers hit 42.1%, including 8-of-18 from long range to build up the double digit lead.
• Morrisville State was able to cut the deficit to three at the 10:53 mark of the second half as point guard Lamel Faison (Brooklyn, N.Y.) drove for the lay-up, and the Mustangs were able to maintain within striking distance, but the Pioneers went on a 12-3 run late in the second half to broaden their lead and didn't look back enroute to the victory.
• Faison finished with a game high 24 points hitting 9-of-13 from the floor, while adding nine rebounds and an assist in the efforts, while fellow guard Tyrin Miller (White Plains, N.Y.) added 17 to go along with four boards.
• Kevin Dennis (Bronx, N.Y.) collected 11 points and 13 rebounds, five on the offensive glass.
• Three were in double figures for the Pioneers, led by Shawn Gashi with 21, who also added seven assists to his tallies, while teammates Justin Strielkauskas added 15 along with 10 rebounds for the double-double.
• Kobe Lufkin added 16 off the bench, collecting a team high five steals.
WHAT'S NEXT:
• Morrisville State wraps up the semester action next Saturday, hosting SUNY Delhi at 2 p.m. in Morrisville.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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