UTICA, N.Y. – Phil Pellegrino (Rochester, NY, Alfred University) poured in a career-high 30 points to lead the Houghton Highlanders past the Utica College Pioneers on Saturday afternoon, 91-83.
 
Pellegrino shot 10-of-16 from the floor, including five three-pointers, and added a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line.
 
The two teams traded buckets throughout the opening minutes of the game before Houghton went on a 10-0 run over a three minute span. 
 
Utica fought back to within four points before the Highlanders again went on a run, this time stretching their lead to as many as 15 before heading to the locker room up 45-33.
 
Early in the second half Pellegrino drained consecutive threes to give the Highlanders an 18 point lead, their largest of the game.  The Pioneers, however, refused to quit.
 
Down by 14 with five minutes to play, the Pioneers went on a 16-6 run, capped by a three-pointer by Agim Hamiti to pull within only four points of the Highlanders.
 
With the game on the line, Houghton buckled down, separating themselves from their opponent at the charity stripe.  The Highlanders sank four free throws in the final 26 seconds to keep the victory intact.

The victory snaps a five game Empire 8 skid for the Highlanders and is the first time that they have defeated the Pioneers since joining the Empire 8 Conference in 2012-13.
 
Game Vitals:
      >Score:  Houghton College - 91   |   Utica College - 83
      >Records:  Houghton College: 6-8 (1-5 Empire 8)   |   Utica College: 4-9 (1-4 Empire 8)
      >Venue: Harold T. Clark Athletic Center, Utica, NY    |    Attendance: 124
 
Clutch Performances:
The Highlanders:
      >In addition to Pellegrino's heroics, three additional Highlanders scored in double-digits.  Tyler McQuaid (Lowman, NY, Twin Tiers Christian Academy) scored 16 points and added six rebounds, five of them on the offensive end. 
 
Johnathan Stowe (Toronto, ON, Canada, Don Mills Collegiate Institute) put up 13 points and seven rebounds, and Brandon Camacho (Dundee, NY, Dundee High School) added 12 points.
 
The Pioneers:
      >Hamiti scored 29 points and posted nine rebounds.
      >Robert Tutein and Ivan Iton put up 16 points apiece, and Iton added a game-high 19 rebounds.
       
Stat Analysis:
      >Foul shooting proved critical for the Highlanders as they sank 27-of-35 shots from the line (77.1 percent).  The Pioneers made only 17-of-29 from the line (58.6%).
      >In spite of Iton's impressive 19-rebound night, Houghton edged out Utica on the glass, 46-38.
      >Second-chance points also played a role in the Highlanders victory, as they put back 21 points off put-backs, compared to only 11 points for the Pioneers.
 
Next Time Out:
Houghton returns home for the first time in five games to take on the Elmira College Soaring Eagles on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.