Box Score Box | Updated stats
UTICA, N.Y. -- Utica held visiting Nazareth to 15-27 (23 percent) shooting on its field goal attempts to defeat the Golden Flyers 52-41 in a women's Empire 8 Conference basketball game on Friday evening. Junior Maria Allocco amassed a team-high 13 points for Nazareth.

Following the loss, the Golden Flyers fall to 9-16 overall and 3-11 in conference games. With the victory, the Pioneers improve to 7-17 overall and 2-12 in Empire 8 games.

Sophomore Julia Brew scored the first points of the contest with a three-point basket 1:03 into regulation. Utica answered with six consecutive points to claim the lead. Nazareth closed to within one point with a jumper by Allocco on the Golden Flyers' next possession. The Pioneers, however, used a 14-5 scoring run midway through the stanza to take a 20-10 advantage with 6:45 to play in the period. Allocco had all five of the Golden Flyers' points during the stretch with three free throws and a layup.

Trailing 24-15 in the final minute of the half, sophomore Veronica Peck connected on a pair of shots from outside the arc to trim Nazareth's deficit to 24-21 at the break.

In the second half, Utica's defense held the Golden Flyers scoreless for over seven minutes before Brew connected on a pair of free throw opportunities. Nazareth scored its first field goal of the period on its next possession, 7:30 into the half, with a three-point basket by senior Anna Wicks. Wicks' bucket trimmed the Pioneers' lead to six points, 32-26.

Consecutive layups by sophomore Colby McCartney and junior Hannah Runyon brought the Golden Flyers to within one possession, 33-30, with 10:53 to play in regulation. Mary Miceli converted a three-point play on Utica's next possession to stretch the Pioneers' lead to six points. Utica maintained a multiple-possession lead throughout the remainder of regulation.

The Pioneers shot 16-41 (39 percent) from the field to pull away. Bridget Greenwald scored a game-high 18 points, followed by Miceli's 15 points, and Samantha Stayer's 11 points. Greenwald also amassed 15 rebounds. Each team collected 40 boards.

In addition to the points from Allocco, Nazareth received six points apiece from Peck and Wicks. Brew and senior Megan Morrison also each added five points. Sophomore Lindsey Kelly had a team-high eight rebounds. Utica held Kelly, who entered the game as the Golden Flyers' leading scorer with 14.2 points per game, to zero points on only two shots.