Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team is on the road for Thursday's matchup against Empire 8 rival Ithaca College. The contest is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers were able to defeat Houghton College, 67-53, in their last game to improve their record to 4-12 overall and 4-3 in the conference.
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) led the team to victory with his 17 points, five assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) added 12 points and 14 rebounds to earn his fifth double-double of the season. The Pioneers outscored Houghton 35-17 in the second half to earn the win.
Conference Standings: With a conference record of 4-3, UC has already matched its total number of conference wins from last season (4-12). After the win over Houghton College, the Pioneers are now third in the Empire 8 standings. Only the top four teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. In order of the rankings, the top four teams are currently St. John Fisher (6-0 E8), Stevens (6-2 E8), Utica (4-3 E8) and Hartwick (4-4 E8). The upcoming conference matchup against Ithaca College will be vital to the Pioneers maintaining the third seed.
Taylor's Impact: Junior
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) has taken his level of play up a notch since the first half of the season. In the first eight games prior to the beginning of conference play this season, Taylor was averaging 2.4 points, 1.5 assists, and three rebounds per game. As 2017 started and the Pioneers began Empire 8 play, Taylor has since averaged 12 points, four assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. He has significantly increased his production, improving in all three statistical categories. Taylor's strong play against Empire 8 opponents has aided UC on its path to currently hold the number three seed in the conference.
Statistical Leaders: Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) continues to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding. Iton's 15.7 points per game is ranked ninth in the Empire 8, while his average of 9.5 boards per game is second in the conference. He continues to lead the conference in block shots with his average of 1.8 blocks per game. Freshman
Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) is second on the team in scoring with 10.8 points per game and leads the team with a total of 33 made 3-point field goals.
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) averages 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game to lead the team in both categories. Ayarza currently ranks ninth in the conference in assists and second in steals. He also is tenth in the Empire 8 with a free throw percentage of 76.9%.
Scouting Ithaca: The Ithaca College Bombers are currently holding a record of 6-10 overall, and 2-5 in the Empire 8. The Bombers lost to Elmira, 66-63, in their last contest as they have lost four of their last five games. In the loss to Elmira, Marc Chasin recorded 11 points, seven assists, eight rebounds, and four steals in the game. Riley Thompson led the team in scoring as he finished with 12 points. Chasin currently is second in the Empire 8 in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game. Peter Ezema leads the team in rebounding with 7.1 boards per game.
Against Ithaca: The Pioneers have a two game winning streak against Ithaca College after defeating the Bombers in both matchups last season. In the last contest between these two teams, Utica came away with the 84-75 victory.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) added six points and seven boards coming off of the bench in the contest. UC looks to improve to 5-3 in the Empire 8 with a victory over Ithaca on Thursday.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will be on the road once again for its next contest against Stevens (12-4 overall, 6-2 E8) on Saturday. This Empire 8 contest will begin at 4 p.m.
