UTICA, NY- The Utica College men's basketball team returns home Tuesday February 10^th to take on Hartwick College in Empire 8 action ... Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Clark Athletic Center.

LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are looking to bounce back after dropping two games to Ithaca College and St. John Fisher College this past weekend … UC fell, 98-85, to Ithaca on Friday and then, 100-65, to the Cardinals on Saturday … Utica was led by seniors Robert Tutein (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) and Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) who combined for 53 points and 20 rebounds over the two games … Each netted 16 points and seven rebounds on Friday … Tutein scored 11 on Saturday while Maisch chipped in with 10 points.

ALMOST THERE: Senior Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) is closing in on the 1,000 point club here at UC ... Jeffers currently has 993 career points and needs just seven more to become the 15^th player in school history to rack up 1,000 in a career … He is also second all-time with 779 career rebounds … He would become just the third player in program history to score 1,000 points and collect over 500 rebounds in a career. 

E8 LEADER: Senior Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) leads the Empire 8 with 56 three-pointers … Maisch is also second in the conference in total points with 324 and fourth in field goal percentage with .529 (128-221) … The sharp shooter currently ranks 16^th in the country in three-point percentage (46.3%) and 25^th  in total three-pointers made (121).

NEVINS MOVING UP IN THE BOOKS: Senior Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) recently moved into second place all-time with 393 assists just passing Brian Collier's (2003-07) mark of 392 … Nevins currently ranks first in the conference and 14^th nationally with 106 assists on the season … He is currently seventh all time at UC with 1,142 career points and needs 79 more to move into sixth place with Mark Carmichael (1987-90) … The everyday general also is eighth in the nation in total minutes played with 703 over 21 games.

MEET THE HAWKS: Hartwick presently holds the fourth spot in the Empire 8 standings with a 7-4 mark in league play while occupying a 12-8 overall record … The Hawks are currently riding a four game win streak including three-straight on the road and have not lost since falling to UC, 90-83, back on Jan. 20^th.

THREE MORE LEFT: Following Tuesday's contest, Utica will have three more games on the regular season calendar including back-to-back this weekend on the road … UC will head to Rochester, NY on Friday (8 p.m.) to face Nazareth before continuing West on Saturday to challenge Houghton College (4 p.m.) … The Pioneers wrap up the regular season at home on Friday Feb. 20^th (8 p.m.) against Alfred University for Senior Day.