Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball squad is on the road once again on Tuesday, as it will matchup with Empire 8 rival Hartwick College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Last Time Out: UC took down Houghton on the road in its last game, 77-58, thanks to a full-team effort.
Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) led the team with 11 points, while
Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) pitched in with 10 of his own. They were the only two Utica players to reach double-digits, but 12 different players registered points in the win. The Pioneers also outrebounded the Highlanders without any individuals grabbing more than six boards, as 13 different players recorded at least one rebound. Utica shot 54% from the field in the game and went 18-for-23 at the free throw line, improving its record to 7-6 overall and 1-3 in E8 play.
Switching up the Lineup: Head Coach
Sean Coffey mixed up the starting lineup over the last couple games, awarding four different players their first start of the season.
Ryan Johannes (Southbury, CT/Catholic University),
Jabri Lateef (Orange, NJ/Union), and
Chris Green (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton) all received the first collegiate starts of their careers over this past weekend. Senior
Justin Mayers (Hastings, NY/Hastings on the Hudson) was also inserted into the starting five, making his first two starts of the season.
Balanced Effort: Taking a more in-depth look at the win over Houghton, UC's scoring was incredibly balanced. With 12 different players scoring points, eight of them registered at least five points on the day. Out of the dozen UC players that scored in the contest, only one took more than five shots in the game. This demonstrates solid ball movement and unselfish play as everyone touched the ball with a chance to score on the way to a 19-point victory.
Back on Track: The Pioneers' win at Houghton snapped a four-game losing streak, which included three losses within the Empire 8. Now that the team is back in the win column, UC looks to close out a five-game road trip on a good note against Hartwick. Utica's bounce back efforts will lead straight into a five-game home stand featuring E8 opponents exclusively.
Early Conference Standings: Utica is currently sitting in sixth place in the conference after the first four E8 contests of the year. Here are the complete standings at this point in the season: 1. Nazareth (4-0, E8), 2. St. John Fisher (4-0, E8), 3. Stevens (4-2, E8), 4. Alfred (3-0, E8), 5. Elmira (1-1, E8), 6. Utica (1-3, E8), 7. Hartwick (1-4, E8), 8. Sage (1-4, E8), 9. Houghton (0-5, E8).
Scouting Hartwick: The Hawks are 5-9 overall and 1-4 in conference competition so far this season. The team most recently lost to Alfred University, 92-85, making it four losses in the last five games. Patrick Garey was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line and made six shots from long range to lead all scorers with 33 points in the loss. Kyle Bradshaw (20pts, 12 reb) and Brandon LaForest (10 pts, 10ast) each recorded a double-double. Garey is tops on the team with an average of 15.1 points a game, and his 43 made 3-pointers leads the conference.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers finally return to their home court this weekend as they welcome St. John Fisher and Elmira. Friday's match with Fisher starts at 7:30 p.m. and the Elmira game on Saturday tips-off at 4 p.m.
