SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Six players scored in double figures for the Pioneers as Utica handed the Skidmore men's basketball team its first loss of the season, 88-72.
 
Skidmore is 4-1 and will open Liberty League play at home on Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. versus Clarkson. Utica improves to 4-1 with its third consecutive win.
 
Harrison Eichelberger led Skidmore in scoring with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting and nine rebounds. Ty Lamport finished with 18 points, 15 of which in the second half. Tautvydas Kupstas was 3-of-4 from 3-point range and finished with nine points. Greg Skoric had a double-double on 12 points and 10 rebounds with six offensive boards, and Jake Walsh had a game-high six assists.  
 
Darius Hopkins led the Pioneers with 19 points, while Thomas Morreale finished a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc and had 16 points. Damien Call and Avery Coston each put up 12 points from the bench, and Chris Green and Kimedrick Murphy posted 10 points apiece.

"Tip of the cap to Utica, they were the better and more physical team tonight," said Skidmore head coach Joe Burke. "I really like their group. They are well coached and have veteran size and leadership.
  
Utica was 7-of-10 from 3-point range in the first led by Morreale and Coston, who were a combined 5-of-7. The Pioneers had the lead since their second possession of the contest and never let it go, growing their advantage to as much as 21 in the opening half. Mark Engel came off the Thoroughbred bench and collected three rebounds and sank a pair of threes to help get Skidmore to within 13 before Morreale capped his strong first half with a three in the final minute to make it 47-31 Utica.
 
Skidmore clawed back to get to within 11 twice in the early stages of the second half, but Utica improved on its 51.4 percent shooting line in the first half and shot at a 53.8 percent clip in the second half to put it away. The Pioneers also finished at 83.3 percent from the free throw line and finished with a 17-2 edge in points off turnovers.   

"We just didn't bring our 'A,' 'B,' or even 'C' game tonight," Burke said. "I kind of felt it in practice the last two days coming out of break. We just didn't compete at the level that we usually do. We have some guys that need to get healthy, but that is no excuse. Utica outplayed us. We need to be better and we need to coach better."