Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team will be home on Tuesday, as they matchup with Nazareth for the second time this season. This E8 contest is scheduled to tip-off at 6 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: UC lost to St. John Fisher, 84-53, in its last game making the team's record 10-8 overall and 5-4 in Empire 8 play. Freshman Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) was Utica's high-scorer, as he poured in 11 points while shooting 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and shot 4-for-4 at the charity stripe.
 
Home Sweet Home: The Pioneers just ended a four-game stretch away from their home court, and are finally back home. The team has been great at home, holding a record of 7-1 playing on the UC home court. After going 2-2 during the most recent road trip, Utica looks to extend its home winning streak to four games against Naz on Tuesday.
 
Statistical Leaders: Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) leads the team in points, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. Iton's 15.8 points per game ranks seventh in the conference, while his average of 8.7 boards a game is fourth in the E8. He averages 2.1 blocks per game to lead the Empire 8 and his 60.3% field goal percentage is second in the conference. Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) is second on the team and ranks ninth in the E8 with a mark of 6.1 boards per game. Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) leads UC with a per game average of 3.9 assists, which is also sixth in the conference.
 
Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Flyers are second in the Empire 8, holding an overall record of 12-6 and 7-2 in conference play. The team beat Sage at home, in its last contest, with the final score reading 64-60. Jake Burgio had a monster game, finishing with 21 points, 19 rebounds, and four blocks. Tyler Stenglein added 19 points, on a 12-for-13 effort at the foul line. Burgio is fifth in scoring and first in rebounding within the E8, averaging 16.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He also leads the conference with a field goal percentage of 61%. Stenglein is Nazareth's top scorer with an average of 19.7 points per game, which is second in the Empire 8.
 
Against Nazareth: In the previous matchup between these two teams, UC defeated Nazareth on the road with a final score of 59-56. Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) led the way with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Iton went 9-for-14 from the field, and added four assists in the win. Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) contributed 11 points and five boards, while Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) went 2-for-3 from long range on his way to adding eight points. Nazareth's Tyler Stenglein finished with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Jake Burgio snagged a game-high 16 boards. The Pioneers look to sweep the regular season series against Nazareth on Tuesday.
 
Looking Ahead: UC returns to action on Saturday, for another home contest against Houghton College. This Empire 8 matchup is set to begin at 2 p.m.