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UTICA, N.Y. -- Junior Mitch Ford scored a career-high 38 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds Saturday to lift visiting Nazareth to a 67-61 men's basketball victory over Utica.

The victory was the first for the Golden Flyers in Empire 8 Conference play as the Golden Flyers improved to 1-4 in E8 games and 5-9 overall. The Golden Flyers had a four-game losing streak snapped.

Ford made 15 of 21 shots from the floor and went 8-for-12 from the free-throw line to get his 38 points. He scored 21 of his points in the first half as the Golden Flyers were building a 15-point lead, 42-27. The lead reached 17 points, 44-27, early in the second half after Maurice Mills sank two free throws on Nazareth's opening possession.

Utica rallied to outscore Nazareth 34-25 in the second half and closed to within three points, 64-61, following a basket by Aaron Nevins with :13 left. Dan Morse sank a pair of free throws for the Golden Flyers with :10 left and Ford made another as time expired to preserve the victory.

The game was close in the first half until Nazareth used a 25-9 scoring spree over the final 10 minutes to emerge with a 15-point lead. A jumper by Steven Soltysik and a pair of free throws by Ford enabled Nazareth to take the lead for good. Ford scored 15 of his points during the decisive run and Soltysik nailed both of his three-point shots.

In the second half, Ford converted a three-point play with 4:31 to go to keep Nazareth's lead at a seemingly safe 61-49. The Pioneers chipped away at the Golden Flyers' lead in the closing minutes but eventually ran out of time.

Mills added nine points for Nazareth before fouling out late in the game. Soltysik added eight points with the two three-point shots. Connor Maisch was Utica's high scorer with 15 points.

Nazareth returns home to host Elmira Tuesday at 8 p.m.