CORTLAND, N.Y. – Utica University finished the first half on a 9-0 run to take a 41-33 halftime lead and the visiting Pioneers held off Cortland, 83-79, in men's basketball non-league competition. 
 
Danny Linehan (Blauvelt/Tappan Zee) and Aaron Coston (Kerhonkson/Rondout Valley) combined for 50 points for Cortland, which dropped to 4-3 on the season. Linehan scored a career-high 26 points, 23 in the second half. He made a career-best eight 3-pointers in 13 attempts and recorded five rebounds and three assists. Coston hit 8-of-10 shots, including both of his 3-point attempts, along with 6-of-9 free throws to end with 24 points. He pulled down four rebounds and handed out three assists. 
 
Kendall Arcuri (Staten Island/St. Joseph by the Sea) chipped in with 11 points, three assists and six rebounds for the Red Dragons. Kareem Lubin (Monroe/Washingtonville) finished with nine points, five rebounds and three assists and Jaylen Warmack (Utica/Utica Notre Dame) scored six points and added six rebounds and a game-high six assists. 
 
Utica (6-2) had five double-figure scorers. Damien Call scored 19 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, while Hagen Foley and Justice Brantley each scored 15 points. Foley made 6-of-7 field goals. Brantley led the Pioneers with three assists and three steals. Luke Bourgault scored 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting and Liam Teague hit 5-of-7 shots and ended with 11 points. 
 
Both teams shot well in the contest. Utica ended at 50 percent overall and 50 percent (6-of-12) from 3-point range. Cortland was 49 percent from the floor and 12-of-32 (38 percent) from 3-point land. 
 
Cortland led 12-2 to start the game and 20-10 with 13:18 left in the first half. Utica came back and tied the game three times in the next seven minutes, including 30-30 with 6:56 left. Cortland led 33-32 after a Coston free throw with 4:23 left, but Utica scored nine straight to take its eight-point halftime lead. 
 
Utica's largest lead was 52-40 on a Foley layup with about 15 minutes left. Cortland quickly got back to within three on a Lubin 3-pointer and two Linehan treys. Utica pushed back and took a 69-60 lead with 6:53 left, but Cortland eventually got back to within 79-76 on a Coston layup with under a minute left. Down by six, Cortland made a last push when Arcuri hit a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left and got fouled. He intentionally missed the free throw and Call grabbed the defensive rebounds. He was fouled and hit the second of two free throws with less than five seconds remaining to seal Utica's win.