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UTICA, N.Y. -- Junior Phil Scaffidi sank a pair of free throws with :14 left Friday to lift Nazareth to a 73-72 men's basketball victory over Utica.

Nazareth improved to 10-6 overall and 3-4 in the Empire 8 Conference. Utica dropped to 8-7 and 2-5.

Scaffidi scored the Golden Flyers' last five points to finish with a game-high 19 points. He made 5 of 10 shots from the field and went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

In a see-saw second half, Utica's Will Abrams scored with :27 left to give the Pioneers' their final lead of the game at 72-71. On Nazareth's next possession, Scaffidi was fouled by Robert Whyte and the 6-foot guard nailed the decisive shots. Utica had one last possession, but never got off a game-winning attempt as Nazareth's Jake Fladd made a steal in the closing seconds.

Nazareth had four double-digit scorers as sophomore Tyshun Stephens scored 13 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Freshman Brad Ford and junior Greg Lothridge each scored 10.

Nazareth shot poorly from the field in the first half (11-for-30, 36.7 percent) as starters Scaffidi, Stephens and Jason Corletta went a combined 0 for 12. Nazareth led by as many as nine points early on -- thanks to 10 first-half points by Lothridge -- but Utica closed the half with a 16-4 scoring run over the last seven minutes to take a three-point advantage, 32-29, at the break.

Nazareth's shooting improved appreciably in the second half as Scaffidi scored 17 of his points and Stephens and Corletta combined for 21 more.

Nazareth was up 67-63 following a basket by Corletta with 3:36 to go. A 7-2 Utica run -- with all seven points coming from James Patterson -- enabled Utica to take a 70-69 lead with under a minute to play.

Scaffidi scored for Nazareth with :47 left before Abrams' basket brought the lead back to Utica, 72-71, with :27 left. Scaffidi then stepped up and knocked down the clutch throws for Nazareth.

Whyte was Utica's high scorer with 16 points. Patterson scored 15 and and Abrams 12.

Nazareth is home again Tuesday to play Alfred at 8 p.m.