UTICA, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team hits the road this weekend for back-to-back Empire 8 games … The Pioneers will head Rochester, NY on Friday for an 8 p.m. tip-off against Nazareth College before traveling to Houghton College on Saturday for a 4 p.m. set start against the Highlanders.

PIONEERS FALL TO "WICK": UC lost to Hartwick on Tuesday, 83-64, at the Clark Center and has now dropped four in a row … The Pioneers were led by senior Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman)'s 30 point performance on 12-of-19 shooting including five 3-pointers … UC shot just 44.1% from the floor and 24.1% from downtown in the defeat … Senior Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) added 14 points and six assists while junior Robert Tutein (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) chipped in with 10 points and four boards.

ONE-POINT TO THE MILESTONE: Senior Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) needs one point to become the 15^th player in school-history to record 1,000 points in a career … Jeffers needed seven points heading into Tuesday's contest against Hartwick but fouled out with just six points … He currently has 999 career points and needs just 14 to crack the All-Time Top 10 here at Utica … His 786 career rebounds rank him second All-Time and he will become just the third player in the programs history to register 1,000 and collect 500 rebounds in a career … Jeffers is currently 10^th in the conference in rebounds (6.8 r/g) and steals (1.2 s/g).

GOLDEN FLYER REPORT: Naz is currently 8-12 overall on the season while holding a 4-7 mark in the conference and is currently tied with Elmira in sixth place … The Golden Flyers have won two of their last three beating Elmira and Houghton and losing to Alfred … Four of Naz's seven losses in the E8 have come by less than 10 points … Nazareth holds a 3-4 ledger at home and on the road.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS: Houghton presently holds a 5-17 overall mark including a 1-12 ledger in league play and sits at the bottom of the conference … Four of the Highlander's five wins have come on their home court … HC is winless on the road with an 0-12 ledger … Houghton has dropped 11 straight and 14 of its last 15 games.

EMPIRE 8 STANDINGS: Nationally-ranked No. 17 St. John Fisher (18-2) currently sits atop the league standings with a perfect mark of 11-0 … Hartwick (13-8) and Ithaca (11-10) share second place with equal marks of 8-4 … Alfred presently holds the fourth and final spot for playoff seeding with an 8-5 ledger in the league  … Stevens (10-11) occupies fifth place currently with an even 6-6 mark in the conference … Elmira (7-13) and Nazareth (8-12) are tied in sixth with 4-7 records while Utica (8-14) trails in seventh with a 4-9 mark … Houghton rounds out the conference standings (5-17, 1-12 Empire 8).

SENIOR NIGHT: Following this weekend's contests, UC returns home next Friday for Senior Night at the Harold T Clark Athletic Center … The Pioneers will welcome Alfred University in their final regular season home game … Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. … Utica will honor seniors Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius), Rich Smith (Albany, NY/La Salle Institute), Ian Henderson (Chateaugay, NY/Chateaugay), Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) and Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn).