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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Junior Mary Holland had a team-high 18 points after connecting on six three-pointers, but visiting Utica defeated Nazareth 68-65 in an Empire 8 game thanks to a game-high 31 points from Jessica Berry.

With the loss, the Golden Flyers suffer their first loss of the season and drop to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Empire 8. The Pioneers improve to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference.

Utica scored the first 11 points of the game before sophomore Brittany Patenaude put Nazareth on the board with a layup at the 15:24 mark. The Golden Flyers went on to outscore the Pioneers 14-5 to tie the score, 16-16, with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half. Sophomore Ashley Gallagher tied the game with a pair of free throws.

Nazareth took a 27-20 lead with 1:48 left in the first period following a three-point shot by freshman Jenee Vanderstyne, and baskets from senior Rachel Pirozzolo and sophomore Brittany Tallchief. The Golden Flyers' depth keyed Nazareth's first half rally as all 11 players who saw action scored during the first 20 minutes. The Pioneers, however, scored the final four points of the half to cut Nazareth's lead to three points at halftime.

Berry tallied Utica's first six points of the second half to give Utica a 30-29 lead. The teams traded baskets through most of the second half as neither team had more than a two-possession lead until the final minutes. With the timely baskets by each team, the second half featured 15 lead changes and seven ties.

The Golden Flyers took a four-point lead, 55-51, with 3:17 to play after Holland connected on one of her six three-point shots. The Pioneers scored the next five points on two free throws by Danielle Busansky and a three-point basket by Jessica Snyder to take a 56-55 lead with 2:28 remaining. Utica's lead swelled to seven points with six consecutive free throws in the next 1:42.

Senior Kelly Dunne scored a layup to cut Nazareth's deficit to five points, then senior Kylie Bartlett hit a three-pointer to cut the Golden Flyers' deficit to four points with 30 seconds to play. After the Pioneers hit two more free throws, Holland hit her sixth three-pointer to bring Nazareth to within one possession, 66-63, with 20 seconds left in regulation.

The Golden Flyers thought they had forced the Pioneers into a turnover with 1 second remaining to take a last second shot, but the officials ruled that Utica retained possession. The Pioneers threw the ball the length of the court to run out the clock.

Coming into the game, Utica had shot 61 percent from the free throw line, but free throws keyed the Pioneers' victory as they shot over 86 percent in the second half. Utica made 12 of their final 14 free throw shots.

Tallchief was Nazareth's second player to score in double figures as she had 10 points. Bartlett finished with nine points and Dunne had six points. Gallagher, Patenaude, and sophomore Katie Kollar each had five five points as the Golden Flyers' used a balanced scoring attack with sophomore Brittany Wilson out with an ankle injury. Tallchief finished with a team-high eight rebounds while Dunne had six assists.

Outside of berry's 31 points, Utica received 10 points from Devin Croll and Danielle Busansky. Danielle Moore and Berry had 12 rebounds and 10 rebounds, respectively. The Pioneers finished with a 45 -36 advantage in total rebounds.

After the holiday break, the Golden Flyers travel to Waynesburg, Pa for their next two games before resuming their Empire 8 schedule in January.