Live Stats

Utica, NY (12-7-11) – The Utica College women's basketball team travels to Troy, NY Friday to challenge Liberty League opponent Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in hopes of extending its win streak to four straight.

Game-Time:  The non-conference match-up against RPI will be held at the EVAC Arena with a scheduled tip-off for 6 p.m.

The Pioneers: Utica is currently 5-2 overall this season while riding a three-game winning streak … The Pioneers are currently third in the Empire 8 Conference while leading the league in 3-point percentage (.336%) and defensive rebounding (28.3 Avg/G), and rank second in field goal percentage (3.93 %) …  UC is coming off a convincing, 33-point victory over Cazenovia on Monday … Prior to that, the Pioneers knocked off local foe Hamilton College in Clinton, NY on Saturday, 48-44 … The winning streak started on Tuesday, Nov. 29 when the team traveled to Aurora, NY and defeated the Wells Express  76-48.

Last Time Out: UC extended its win streak to three on Monday as 14 different players scored and all 17 players on the roster tallied at least four minutes of action … Senior forward Justine Karst (Olean, NY/Hinsdale) led the Pioneers with 11 points, on 5-of-7 shooting, to go along with four boards and two assists … Sophomore shooting guard Alyssa Filkins (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) recorded nine points, on 4-of-7 from the floor, along with four rebounds, one assist and one steal … Sophomore Casey Button (Albion, NY/Albion) came off the bench and netted a career-high seven points and four rebounds to pace UC.

The Engineers: Rensselaer currently holds an overall record of 4-2 and is also riding the highs of a three-game win streak … The Engineers compiled an overall record of 10-15 last season while going 6-8 in league play … Last season, RPI defeated UC, 73-56, on Dec. 7 at the Clark Athletic Center (Utica, NY).

No. 5 at the Point: Senior point guard, Katie McGee (Philadelphia, PA/Nazareth), is among the leaders in the Empire 8 Conference in all major categories … McGee leads the league in assists (7.0 Avg/G), 3-point percentage (.565%) and minutes played (39.33 Avg/G) … She is also third in scoring (16.0 Avg/G) and field goal percentage (.547%) while eighth in rebounding (6.5 Avg/G) and steals (2.2 Avg/G).

Fiore: A Force in the Paint: Sophomore post Meghan Fiore (Epping, NH/Epping) has been on a tear the past five games as she currently leads the E8 in scoring (19.2 Avg/G) … Fiore, after sitting out the first game due to injury, has been a force in the box averaging close to a double-double per contest … She is fifth in rebounding (8.0 Avg/G) and tenth in field goal percentage (.451 %).

The Compliments: Sophomore Alyssa Filkins (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) and freshman Samantha Stayer (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) are third and fourth in scoring for the Pioneers … Filkins has started all seven games while averaging 7.9 points, 2.3 boards and 1.7 assists in 31 minutes of action … Stayer is averaging 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.7 minutes off the bench for UC.

Return to the Hardwood: The Pioneers will return to action Tuesday, Dec. 13 when they host non-conference rival Union College … Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Clark Athletic Center … The Dutchwomen are currently 3-3 overall this season and have lost to Hartwick, St. John Fisher and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.