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Utica, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team looks to move up in the Empire 8 Conference standings as the regular season nears a close. The Pioneers have an overall record of 13-10 while posting a 6-8 mark in conference play.

UC has locked in the fourth seed securing a spot in the conference tournament for seven consecutive seasons. Ithaca (18-5, 14-0 Empire 8) is in first and will most likely host a first round game, while St. John Fisher (15-10, 12-4 Empire 8) currently is in second and Stevens (17-6, 10-4 Empire 8) holds third place.

Friday is Senior Night at UC as the Pioneers welcome Rochester Institute of Technology. The game will be held at the Clark Athletic Center and tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Earlier this season, on Jan. 14, Utica beat RIT in Rochester by 37 points, 87-50, and looks sweep the Tigers in the season series. The Pioneers are 8-2 against RIT since the 2005-06 season and now have won the last five games.

On Saturday, Utica heads to Rochester, NY to challenge Nazareth in its last regular season contest of the 2010-11 season. The Golden Flyers took UC into overtime earlier this season in Utica, however, the Pioneers were able to fend them off by the score of 64-58. Over the last five years, UC is 11-0 against the Golden Flyers, while outscoring them by an average margin of 13.4 points per victory.

Senior All-American Jessica Berry (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) leads UC and the conference averaging a double-double with 21.1 points and 11 boards per contest. The reigning conference player of the year has posted six consecutive double-doubles and 14 total on the season. Recently, she became the 11th player in Division III women's basketball history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. In her career, Berry has averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in 105 games played.

Senior Devon Croll (Vernon, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) leads the conference in three-point percentage (.430), is second in assists (4.65pg) behind teammate Katie McGee (Philadelphia, PA/Nazareth), and is tied for fifth with McGee in steals (2.09pg). In her career, Croll has averaged 12.3 points, 3.9 boards, 3.1 assists, and 2.7 steals per contest. She is school's all-time leader in steals with 279 and is currently fourth on the college's all-time scoring list with 1,279 total points.

Senior Stephanie Nara (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) has played in 88 career games for the Pioneers while averaging 3.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. Last year, Nara had career-high averages in points (5.0ppg) and rebounds (5.0pg) while leading the squad in three-pointers made with 30.

Senior Casey Orlando (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) has played in 58 career games for UC while averaging 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Orlando scored a season-high six points in 16 minutes against RIT earlier this season.

Senior Janelle Nixon (Middleville, NY/Middleville) has played in 49 career games for Utica and has averaged 0.8 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. In her career, Nixon has 38 total points, 16 assists and seven steals in 272 minutes played.

Following the weekend set, the Pioneers return to action Friday, Feb. 25, for the opening round of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. The tournament site and match-ups are to be announced upon completion of the regular season.