Utica, NY - The Utica College men's basketball team is set for a busy Thanksgiving break, as it travels to face SUNY Poly Tuesday at 4 p.m., before heading to the University of Rochester Tournament this weekend. The Pioneers are slated for an opening-round matchup with Neumann University Saturday at 7 p.m., and its second game will be determined by the results of the first round. The University of Rochester and Keuka are on the other side of the bracket.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers topped Cazenovia by a score of 115-81 Friday night to advance to 2-1 on the season. The team exploded from 3-point land in this one, netting 17 threes on the night. This game was back and forth early on, as the score was 21-all at the 12:28 mark. Junior guard Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) started an 8-0 run on one of his five 3s, and freshman forward Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) capped off the run on a jumper to lead the Pioneers to their largest lead of the game (29-21) with 11:02 to play in the half. This was all UC needed, as it would hold the lead for the rest of the game. The Pioneers went into halftime with a 55-38 lead, and they outscored the Wildcats 60-43 in the second half to secure their first home victory of the season in front of a packed crowd at Miga Court. Lufkin and senior forward Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) led the air raid of threes throughout the night, converting on a combined 11 shots from behind the arc. Remley posted a game-high six 3-pointers, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from 3-point land, while Lufkin added five. Both Lufkin and Remley finished with a game-high 21 points.

3-Ball: Overall the Pioneers finished Friday night with more 3-pointers than their first two games combined, tabbing an impressive 53.1 shooting percentage from 3-point land.
Young Guns: Freshman forward Christopher Bamba (Kingston, NY/Kingston) had a breakout performance in his collegiate debut Friday night, posting 11 points while adding four rebounds. The Kingston native also ignited the loudest eruption from the crowd all night when he weaved through defenders and threw down a rim-rocking dunk with 8:04 left to play in the game. Freshman point guard DJ Harter (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent) impressed in his collegiate debut as well, as he notched seven points on one 3-pointer and two baskets.
Slow but Steady: Sophomores Justin Worth (Catskill, NY/Catskill) and Chris Green (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton), along with freshmen Shemar Franklin (Laurelton Queens, NY/Holy Cross) and Huasly Paredes (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee), also netted their first points of the season Friday night.

Block Party: Junior center Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) currently sits atop the Empire 8 in blocks with 14 while averaging 8.7 rebounds per game, which is good for second-most in the conference.

Catching Stride: Lufkin, who finished his high school career with the fifth-most points in New York State history, posted a season-high 21 points against the Wildcats. The Argyle alum was a consistent scorer on last year's team, averaging 8.1 points per game, but had yet to reach that mark before Friday night.

Team Effort: the Pioneers have had an impressive start to their season statistically, as they lead the Empire 8 in average margin of victory (11.7), 3-point percentage (42.9%) defensive rebounds per game (32.0) and blocked shots per game (seven).

Scouting Poly: The Wildcats currently sport a 2-2 record thus far in 2019, and they are coming off a 2018-19 season where they finished with an overall record of 15-13. Their season culminated with a championship-round loss to Morrisville State in the NEAC finals.

Favorable History: The Pioneers hold the advantage if history is any indication, as they have totaled a 17-10 record against the SUNY Poly Wildcats over the last 20 years. The last time these two teams matched up was on November 20, 2018, where Utica took home the victory by a score of 94-83. UC also has also fared well when playing at home against the Wildcats, as the Pioneers have won nine of the 13 matchups when hosting the game. The scouting report for Saturday is wide open, as this marks the inaugural meeting between Utica and Neumann.

About Neumann: Neumann has accumulated an even 3-3 record, with their three losses coming in the last four games after starting the season with two consecutive wins. Last season the Knights finished at the .500 mark with a 13-13 overall record and did not qualify for postseason play. Senior guard Haneef Vaughn leads the team in scoring, averaging 20.8 points per game while also posting team-highs in steals (19) and assists (20).
On The Horizon: Utica returns home to Miga court for a non-conference matchup against Morrisville State Wednesday at 7 p.m.

On The Horizon: Utica returns home to Miga court for a non-conference matchup against Morrisville State Wednesday at 7 p.m.