Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team is at home on Wednesday, for a meeting with Morrisville State College. The game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m.
 
Go 4 The Goal: Wednesday's contest marks Utica's annual Go 4 the Goal game, to support children with cancer in reaching their goals. The players will be wearing gold shoelaces during the game to help raise awareness. They will be making a donation to the Go 4 the Goal foundation as a team and want to encourage others to donate as well. Fans that wish to make a donation to this cause can visit http://www.go4thegoal.org/ and click "DONATE NOW" on the webpage.
 
Last Time Out: UC fell to Hamilton College in its last contest, 90-85, pushing the team's record down to 2-3 so far this season. Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) was the high scorer for Utica, finishing with 23 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Jake Kulakowski (Brewerton, NY/Central Square) recorded the first double-double of his collegiate career, on 15 points and 10 boards. Joe Stortini (Rhinebeck, NY/RIT) notched 16 points, while Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) added 13 of his own.
 
Player of the Week: Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) was named men's basketball Empire 8 player of the week on Monday. He averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists per game in a 1-1 week for Utica.  He also shot 57% from the floor on the week.  He was 9-for-17 from the floor and recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals against Cazenovia. Against Hamilton, Iton added a team-high 23 points (7-for-11 FG), eight rebounds and two steals. He currently ranks fifth in the league with an average of 17.6 points per game and ranks sixth with an average of 7.8 boards per game. Iton is third in the E8 with his field goal percentage of 61.8% and leads the league with 2.0 blocks per game.
 
Taylor Getting Big: Senior guard Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) has made an impact on the court with his hustle and hard work in grabbing rebounds. He is currently ninth in the Empire 8 with an average of 7.2 boards per game and is the shortest player in the top-10 for rebounds. In Utica's win over Cazenovia Taylor recorded a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He has created a bunch of second chance opportunities for the Pioneers, tallying 11 offensive rebounds over the last three games. Having a guard that can produce rebounding numbers like a big is a rare commodity.
 
Statistical Leaders: Iton is currently leading UC in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and shooting percentage. Iton has earned averages of 17.6 points, 7.8 boards, 2 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game to go with his 61.8% field goal percentage. Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) leads the Pioneers with an average of 3.2 assists per game and leads the team with his free throw percentage of 76.2%. Jake Kulakowski (Brewerton, NY/Central Square) is the top long range shooter for the Pioneers right now, shooting at a 60% clip from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
Scouting Morrisville: The Morrisville State Mustangs are sitting at a record of 3-3, heading into Wednesday's contest. In its last game, the team defeated Penn College on the road by a score of 78-57. Trent Ward was the high scorer in the game, finishing with 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Kevin Dennis and Tyrin Miller also reached double-digits, as they both poured in 11 points. Tyrin Miller is the leading scorer for Morrisiville, as he averages 13.5 points per game on a healthy 52.5% shooting this season. UC fell to the Mustangs, 71-67, last season when Kevin Dennis shot 13-for-18 from the field on his way to recording 31 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will be on the road for their next game, as they match up against Montclair State University. The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on December 16th.