Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team faces-off against Montclair State University on Saturday, on the road. The game is set to tip-off at 1 p.m.
Last Time Out: UC walked away with a 13-point victory over Morrisville State at home, in its last contest.
Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) led the Pioneers with a career-high 26 points, shooting 13-for-18 from the charity stripe.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) finished just shy of a double-double, with nine points and 12 rebounds.
Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor. The win over the Mustangs pushes Utica's record to 3-3 thus far.
Rookie of the Week: On Monday, freshman
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) was selected as the Empire 8 Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week, for his performance against Morrisville. In the team's 87-74 win at home, Lufkin poured in a career-high 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. He also notched a career-high of four assists and did not turn the ball over once the entire game.
Statistical Leaders: Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) currently leads the team in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, steals, and blocks. Iton is ranked eighth in the Empire 8 with an average of 16.2 points per game. He ranks fifth in rebounding with 8.5 per game and has a shooting percentage of 60.3%, which is second in the conference. Ivan is second in blocks and eighth in steals in the E8.
Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) is second on the team and tenth in the conference with his scoring average of 15.7 points a game.
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College)'s 3.7 assists per game is ranked seventh in the Empire 8.
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) is leading the Pioneers with a 3-point shooting percentage of 55%.
Scouting Montclair: The Red Hawks are holding an overall record of 6-3 and are 3-2 in NJAC competition. The team is coming off of a 95-78 victory over conference opponent Rowan University. Jarrett Bogus led the way with game-highs of 23 points (11-for-15 FG) and 13 rebounds to earn the double-double. Jovanni Chatham finished with 16 points, nine assists, and seven boards, while Myles Mitchell-White added 19 points of his own. Eddie Emedoh recorded 14 points and nine rebounds coming off the bench. Bogus leads the team in scoring with averages of 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Jordan Roberson is the top rebounder on the squad, coming away with 8.5 boards a game. Montclair is currently 3-0 in home games this season, heading into this weekend's matchup.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers return to action on December 29th, as they host the Utica College Basketball Classic. In game one of the weekend tournament UC will play Anna Maria College, beginning at 4 p.m.
