Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team is set for an away contest against Sage on Tuesday. This E8 matchup is scheduled to tip-off at 6 p.m.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers defended their home court against Houghton in their last game, winning by a score of 70-52.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) notched a double-double, on 14 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman
Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) made three shots from beyond the 3-point arc in the contest, pouring in 11 points off the bench.
Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) added nine points and five boards, while
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) recorded six points and five assists. UC is now 8-2 on its home floor this season.
On the Road Again: The Pioneers kick-off another three-game road trip on Tuesday against Sage. Later in the week, the team will come head-to-head with Hartwick College on Thursday for another Empire 8 battle. UC's trip away from home comes to an end after Saturday's meeting with Elmira. With just five games left in the season, every contest in this road trip will have playoff implications as the regular season winds down.
Conference Picture: Utica is holding an overall record of 11-9 and 6-5 in Empire 8 competition. The team is in fifth place right now, as only the top four teams will earn a spot to compete in the conference tournament on February 23rd. The current standings are as follows: 1. Nazareth (10-2 E8), 2. Stevens (10-2 E8), 3. Alfred (8-2 E8), 4. St. John Fisher (7-5 E8), 5. Utica (6-5 E8), 6. Hartwick (4-7 E8), 7. Sage (4-7 E8), 8. Elmira (1-9 E8), 9. Houghton (0-11 E8). UC has some work to do, as the team is one spot out of the tournament heading into Tuesday's contest.
Scouting Sage: The Gators are 9-11 overall and 4-7 in E8 play this season. The team has now won two close games in a row, earning a 91-89 win over Hartwick in overtime and then defeating Elmira 86-85 the last time out. Sage received balanced scoring from the team as five players reached double-digits in the win. Isaiah Scurry posted a double-double on 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way. Wayne Weir tallied 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Anthony Mitchell poured in 17 points off the bench, shooting 8-for-10 from the floor. Barceem Dukes and Kevin Lenehan eached scored 12 points in the game. Scurry leads the team with an average of 14.3 points per game, while Lenehan grabs a team-best eight rebounds per game.
Against Sage: Utica faced Sage once earlier this season at home, earning the 79-75 win.
Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) put up 21 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Bennito Ayarza (Brooklyn, NY/Cayuga Community College) finished with 10 points and five assists.
Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) and
Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) both scored 10 points in the game.
Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) did it all, as he tallied eight points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals. The Gators were led by Jordan Devaughn's 20 points and four assists. Barceem Dukes earned the double-double, as he scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 13 boards. Isaiah Scurry scored 12 points (4-for-8 3pt), while Stephen Paulk poured in 11 off the bench (5-for-6 FG). UC's bench outscored the Sage reserves, 28-17, to help the team earn the four-point victory.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers return to action on Thursday, as they continue playing on the road against Hartwick. This Empire 8 contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
