Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team heads into the last weekend of the 2010-11 season with a record of 12-10 overall, including a 6-8 mark in the Empire 8 Conference.

Friday is Senior Night as UC will host Rochester Institute of Technology at the Clark Athletic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. RIT is currently 10-13 on the season while holding a 7-7 record in the conference. Utica beat the Tigers earlier this season, 66-53, in Rochester, NY. In heads-up play, RIT is 8-3 against the Pioneers since the 2005-06 season.

Then, on Saturday, UC heads to Rochester, NY for its final game of the season against Nazareth College. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. UC looks to avenge its early season, one-point, home loss to the Golden Flyers. Nazareth currently maintains a 13-10 overall record as well as a 6-8 mark in the E8.

The Pioneers are led by senior guard James Patterson (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) who currently leads the conference in scoring (18.0ppg) and steals (2.73pg). Patterson is also third in assists (4.14pg), three-point percentage (.442), and minutes played (35.36). He is fifth all-time on the college's scoring list with 1,185 total points (12.1ppg). He also ranks fifth all-time in assists (311) and second in steals (210).

Senior swingman Will Abrams (Somerset, NJ/Rutgers Prep School) has started in all 22 games this season and is second in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game. In his four-year career, Abrams has played in 93 games, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest.

Senior forward Robert Whyte (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township) currently is eighth in the Empire 8 in field goal percentage (.526). This season, Whyte is averaging 7.8 points and 5.0 boards per game. In his career, he has played in 97 games, good enough for tenth all-time and his career average is 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest.

Unfortunately, Utica did not earn a spot in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the post-season tournament and UC is currently tied in sixth place with Nazareth, while RIT sits alone in fifth. Ithaca and Stevens are tied for first at 11-3, Hartwick is in third with a 9-5 ledger, and St. John Fisher holds the final seed with a 10-6 record.