Hamilton improved to 3-1 overall with the non-league win. The Continentals have won 10 straight games in the series against Utica (2-2 overall) dating back to early in the 1994-95 season.
Jones made 6 of his 14 field goal attempts, including 2 of 5 from three-point range, and was 6-for-9 at the free throw line. He also handed out a game-high five assists. Mike Evans '05 made three three-point shots and finished with 10 points. Tsakani Ngobeni '07 added seven points, a team-high eight rebounds and was credited with four steals.
Tim Troy '05 led the Pioneers with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Justin Cichon '06 chipped in 13 points and two blocked shots. Willie Lucas '06 registered 15 points.
Utica led 36-30 at the half and 60-59 with 37 seconds left when Cichon nailed a three-pointer. Hamilton came right back and regained a one-point lead on a baseline jumper by John Fleming '07 (eight points) with 26 seconds remaining. Cichon and Troy missed shots that would have given the lead back to the Pioneers in the closing seconds. Evans made a free throw for the final score with less than a second left.
The Continentals travel to Marcy, N.Y., to play another non-league game at SUNY Institute of Technology on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.