UTICA, N.Y. – Utica College earned a 65-58 home win over Russell Sage College in Empire 8 men's basketball action on Saturday evening. The Pioneers improve to 13-3 overall and 7-1 in the league, while the loss puts RSC at 9-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference. Both teams' coaching staffs wore sneakers with their suits as part of the NABC's Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers game.
Utica led 35-30 at the break and had four different players finish in double-digit scoring to pace them to their fourth straight win.
Senior guard Amani Cummings (Brooklyn, NY/Transit Tech) finished with 14 points, while senior forward/center Stuart Phair tallied 11 points with nine rebounds, a blocked shot and an assist. Senior forward Fethener Aime (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast) added a team-best 10 rebound with eight points.
Senior guard Jalon Borders (Bartow, FL/Bartow) and rookie guard Noah Girard (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) both finished the game with nine points each, while Borders had five rebounds and four assists as well. The nine points was a career-high for Girard.
Utica got 17 points from Darius Hopkins, while Thomas Morreale had a double-double on 15 points with 10 boards. Chris Green chipped in with 11 points, while Avery Coston finished with 10 points in the action.
Phair is now ninth in career rebounding with 363, while Borders is 10th with 331 boards. Borders is also sixth on the Gator career list having started 63 games as a Gator, while ranking fifth in career scoring with 965 points.
Looking ahead, RSC travels to Nazareth on February 4 for a 7:30 p.m. Empire 8 road contest.