Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team will be home for games on Thursday and Saturday this week. The Pioneers will play Hartwick at 6 p.m. on Thursday, before playing host to Elmira at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Last Time Out: UC suffered a tough loss on the road in its last game, losing to Stevens by a score of 85-54.
Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) led the team with 11 points and five rebounds in his return to the starting lineup. In just the second half,
Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) tallied eight points, five rebounds, and four steals. The Pioneers drop to 5-6 overall so far this season and are now 0-2 in E8 competition.
Looking for 1,000: Senior
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) scored eight points in the team's loss to Stevens on Tuesday. This puts Iton even closer to reaching the 1,000 career points milestone. Heading into Thursday's matchup with Hartwick, he has a total of 994 career points. If Iton can score just six points against the Hawks, then he will surpass 1,000 points for his career as a Pioneer.
Statistical Leaders: Iton currently leads UC in points, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. He averages 14.2 points per game on a shooting percentage of 57.7%, which ranks second in the Empire 8. Iton's average of 7.9 boards a game is fourth in the conference, while he leads the E8 with a mark of two blocks per game.
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) is fifth in the Empire 8 in assists, as he tops the team with an average of 3.9 assists each game. Ayarza's free throw shooting percentage of 81% is the highest on the squad. Freshman
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) is the top 3-point bomber on the team, making a team-high 17 3-point shots on 42.5% shooting from long range.
Scouting Hartwick: The Hawks are sitting at 4-7 overall and hold a 1-1 record against E8 opponents this season. The team defeated Houghton in its last matchup, with the final score reading 79-69. Kevin Townes led the way with 18 points and seven boards in the win. Brandon LaForest contributed 15 points, seven assists, and two steals. Townes' average of 16.3 points per game, is fifth in the Empire 8 and leads Hartwick in scoring. Corey Baker and Brandon LaForest are both consistent scorers, averaging 14.7 and 13 points a game respectively.
Against Hartwick: These two teams split the matchup last season, both teams winning on their home floor. The Pioneers took down Hartwick, 90-86, in the first meeting last year.
Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) recorded his career-high of 27 points, shooting 11-for-17 from the floor in the win.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) notched a double-double, finishing with 21 points and 15 boards. However, the Hawks got revenge the second time these teams played, coming away with the 87-72 victory. Iton had another double-double, posting 25 points and 17 boards. Hartwick was on fire in the contest from long range, shooting 15-for-27 from beyond the 3-point arc in the win.
Scouting Elmira: The Soaring Eagles are currently 3-10 overall so far this season and are just 1-3 against conference opponents. The team most recently defeated Houghton, 86-80, to earn its first in-conference victory of the year. Justin Porrett led the way, finishing with 23 points, eight assists, and five boards. Henry Cuffee posted a double-double with 19 point and 11 rebounds. Cuffee is ranked sixth in the Empire 8 in scoring and first in rebounding, with averages of 16.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Porrett leads the conference in assists, averaging 7.5 assists per game.
Against Elmira: Last year the Pioneers swept the season series against Elmira, going 2-0 against this Empire 8 opponent. The first time the two teams met, UC walked away with the 57-55 victory.
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) led the way with an efficient 27 points, shooting 7-for-7 from the floor and 13-for-14 at the foul line. The second time around it was all Utica the entire game, as the team beat the Soaring Eagles by a score of 70-36.
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) did it all, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) tallied 14 points, nine boards, and five blocks in the win.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers are back home once again on January 16th to take on Sage. This Empire 8 hoops contest will tip-off at 6 p.m.
