UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team seeks to double down on its season-opening win as the Pioneers match up with SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday, November 11th. The team will be celebrating Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, and will also hold its annual "A Game for Brooks Miles" event. Tipoff of the non-conference game is slated for 6 p.m at the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center.
FOLLOW ALONG: Live video and stats of Tuesday's game, and all Utica College women's basketball home games is available at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/. Fans can also see all Utica home games, and most Empire 8 Conference away games on the free Empire 8 app available for Roku, AppleTV, and Amazon Fire devices.
A GAME FOR BROOKS MILES: The Pioneers will be hosting their 8th annual "A Game for Brooks Miles" game on Tuesday, November 12th when they host SUNY Potsdam. The women's basketball team will be holding a 50/50 raffle and a bake sale. The proceeds for this year's Brooks Miles game will benefit The Compassionate Friends of the Mohawk Valley Chapter. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to families experiencing a death of a son or daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family. Utica College Professor of Psychology Dave Roberts is the President of the Mohawk Valley Chapter. "A Game for Brooks Miles" was created after Utica College Alum Dr. Greg Rorick '98 and his wife Angela lost their son, Brooks, shortly after he was born in 2008 from heart complications. Tuesday's game will be the latest chapter of an annual tradition honoring his memory. As to date the Utica College Basketball team has raised a total of $12,215.75 for local groups and children like Gram Lorraine of Herkimer Co., Grady's Way, The 21 Club of CNY, Faxton- St. Luke's Children's Miracle Network, Ella Ray Ryan, Kendall McNamara, and Lena Dorsagno.
FACULTY AND STAFF APPRECIATION NIGHT: Each student-athlete on the UC women's basketball team has a chance to nominate one professor or staff member to be honored at halftime for their contributions to the student-athlete experience on Tuesday night against Potsdam. The selected guests will be honored as part of one of the program's longest running traditions.
THEY CAME TO PLAY: The Pioneers won their season opener by a 99-34 score over SUNY Delhi on Saturday. The squad started its season off strong securing a convincing 34-8 lead by the end of the first quarter. This is the first time in program history a 2015 rule change converting games from halves to quarters that the Pioneers started its season off with more than 24 points after the first quarter, which was their previous best. Sophomore Sydney Przygoda (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) led the Pioneer offense with 19 points, two steals and an assist in 23 minutes. Sophomore Petrina DeMarco (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) scored 15 points, six of which came from behind the arc.
TEAM EFFORT: Every player on the roster that was dressed and available for Saturday's game recorded at least one point.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Freshman center Kristine Miller (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) has been named the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Week. She earns the award from her performance in her collegiate debut. Miller played 17 minutes and got her first career college start as the Pioneers routed SUNY Delhi on Saturday in a non-conference game. She scored six points on 3-of-5 shooting, and helped the Pioneers to shoot over 50 percent from the field. She also added a rebound and a steal.
CONFERENCE LEADERS: Sydney Przygoda (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) is currently second in the Empire 8 Conference with nine field goals and 19 points through the limited sample size of games played over the weekend. Petrina DeMarco (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) is ranked fifth with 15 points. Teammate Nicolette Conkin (Los Altos, CA/Homestead) is right behind her in sixth place with six field goals and 13 points, six of which were three-pointers.
OUT OF THE WOODS: On Saturday, senior guard Marissa Woods (Westampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) produced the first double figure scoring performance of her career. She had ten points for a new career-high, and her most points in a game since her rookie season. She was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc for the team's best three point shooting percentage of the day.
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE: Sophomore Cora Sawyer (New London, CT/New London) had an impressive day at the foul line while leading the team with six free throw attempts. The returning guard drained five of her six attempts for an 83.3 percent clip at the bonus stripe in the season opener.
SCOUTING SUNY POTSDAM: The 1-1 Bears are led by returning sophomore Dyamon Hunter with 53 points through two games. Teammate Devyn Elliott has also become an established threat with 44 points and is shooting 51.5 percent from the field. Both Hunter and Elliott are tied for first in assists with six each. The Bears have no seniors on their current roster.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers will host their annual Alumni Weekend event on Saturday, November 16th as the team plays Wells College.
