Utica, NY – The Utica College men's basketball team is set to play two conference games at home this weekend. The Pioneers will play Stevens on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Nazareth on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
White Out!: Fans are asked to wear white to the men's and women's basketball games on Friday night to support the Pioneers and raise funds for the American Cancer Society.  Fans will have the chance to buy tickets for a 50/50 raffle at the men's game, with all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Coaches vs. Cancer: The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. For over 25 years, the Coaches vs. Cancer program, in collaboration with the National Association of Basketball Coaches, has united coaches and fans nationwide to help the American Cancer Society defeat a common enemy – cancer. With your passion and dedicated support, the impact has been felt in communities nationwide. Through fundraising and education initiatives, the Coaches vs. Cancer program has supported the American Cancer Society in improving and saving lives from cancer in the US and worldwide. The fight isn't over, and we need you on our team. For more information about Coaches vs. Cancer please follow them on twitter @CoachesvsCancer.
 
Last Time Out: UC is currently 9-7 (3-4 Empire 8) this season, as the team is coming off of a 77-74 win over Hartwick on Tuesday. Sophomore Shawn Gashi (Central Square, NY/Bishop Grimes) led the Pioneers with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. Gashi capped off his performance with the game-winning shot in the final 10 seconds, immediately followed by drawing a charge on defense to seal the deal. Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) had 16 points, four assists and six rebounds, shooting 50% from the field. Tyler Jollie (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) also reached double figures, scoring 11 points to aid UC on its path to winning back-to-back games.
 
Scoring leaders: The Pioneers are currently led by Shawn Gashi (Central Square, NY/Bishop Grimes), who averages 17.4 points per game. He is currently ranked fourth in the Empire 8 Conference in scoring and is averaging 20 a game over the last four. Behind Gashi is Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley), averaging 10.8 points per game, and shooting a healthy 50% from the field and 42.2% from 3-point territory. Coston has now scored at least 10 points in three of his last four outings.
 
Crashing the Board: Junior forward, Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) leads the team in rebounds and blocks at this point in the season. He averages 5.9 rebounds per game and one block per game. Coston and teammate Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) are both coming up with just under five boards a game to help out on the glass.
 
Scouting Stevens: The Ducks are currently 13-5 (6-3 Empire 8) this season, holding second in the Empire 8 Conference standings. The team is coming off a 78-75 overtime loss to Alfred University last Saturday. Stevens is led by Alec DiPietrantonio 's 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds (1^st in the Empire 8) per game averages. DiPietrantonio is one of four players for Stevens that averages double digits. The last time UC faced Stevens earlier this season the Pioneers lost to the Ducks, 64-58, on the road.
 
Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Flyers are 12-3 (6-0 Empire 8) heading into the weekend and they are ranked number one in the Empire 8. Nazareth recently defeated St. John Fisher, 88-84, last Tuesday. Jake Burgio currently leads the team with 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Teammate Tyler Stenglein is putting up 15.1 a game and is a second solid scoring option. Saturday's game will be a rematch of last season's Empire 8 Conference Tournament Finals where the Pioneers fell, 66-64, to the Golden Flyers. This will be the first of two regular season matchups between these teams.
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will head to Rochester after the weekend to face St. John Fisher in conference play on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.