Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team will be on the road this weekend for a matchup with Morrisville State College. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: UC fell to #4 Hamilton College in its last contest, with the final score reading 73-58. Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) and Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) both put up 10 points in the loss. Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) finished with nine points and eight rebounds, coming up shy of a double-double. This was the first loss of the season for the Pioneers, as they are standing at 4-1 overall so far.
 
Tune-Ups Before E8 Play: As the new calendar year approaches, so does the beginning of Empire 8 Conference play for Utica. With the first conference matchup scheduled for January 4^th against Sage, the team has little time to fine tune everything. UC has just four games remaining before starting conference competition and will use this time to prepare for the E8 schedule.
 
UC Basketball Classic: On Saturday, December 29^th, Utica College will host the UC Basketball Classic. Fredonia, Vassar, and Anna Maria have been invited to compete in the tournament. UC will battle Fredonia on day one to decide who will play the winner of Vassar versus Anna Maria. The winners of each game will face off in the Championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m., while the losers will play in the Consolation game at 1 p.m.
 
Statistical Leaders: Five games into the season Shawn Gashi (Central Square, NY/Bishop Grimes) is the current scoring leader for Utica, averaging 14.2 points per game and has the most assists on the team. Freshman Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) is right behind Gashi in scoring 12.8 points a game, coming off the bench. Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) is grabbing 8.6 boards per game to lead the team and is also tops on the team in blocks and steals. Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) is the top shooter from downtown thus far, shooting at a 46.7% clip from long range. Junior Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) is still a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line this year to own the top foul shot percentage on the team.
 
Scouting Morrisville: The Morrisville State Mustangs are holding onto a 5-2 mark overall and have won two in a row heading into Saturday's game. The team has put up a lot of points over the last couple games as it defeated SUNY Poly 91-89 in double overtime and Cazenovia 104-102. Tyrin Miller finished with 34 points (12-for-21 FG, 7-for-11 3-pt) in the win over Caz, while teammate Kevin Dennis notched a double-double on 16 points and 15 boards. Dennis has had a strong year thus far, averaging a team-best 21.9 points and 15.7 rebounds per game on 58% shooting from the field and 79.7% at the foul line. Teammates Derek Beames and Tyrin Miller both have scoring averages over 10 points a game.
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers are back in action on December 16^th for a home contest against Mount St. Mary College. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m. that Sunday.