UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's basketball team seeks to continue an exceptional start to the season as it hosts the Utica College Classic on Sunday, December 29th, and Monday, December 30th. SUNY Delhi, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Anna Maria comprise the balance of the field in this year's tournament, which will be the third annual edition of the event.

Follow Along: Live video and stats for all four games will be available at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/. Live video can also be found on the Empire 8 Conference Apps available on Roku and Amazon Fire devices.

Tournament Schedule: Utica is slated to meet third time participant Anna Maria College on Sunday, December 29th at 4 p.m. Delhi and RPI will follow with a 6 p.m. tip time. Anna Maria will play RPI the following day at 1 p.m., and Delhi will play Utica at 3 p.m. on that Monday. 

The Last Time They Won It: Utica last won the title in the inaugural edition of the event in 2017. The Pioneers defeated Anna Maria and Oswego State to claim the crown.

At Last Year's Utica College Classic: The Pioneers opened the tournament last year with an 88-63 win over Fredonia State. Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) had 22 points for Utica, and rookie Justin Worth (Catskill, NY/Catskill) added on thirteen as part of an effort that featured four Pioneers in double figures. Utica fell in the championship game to Vassar by a 92-88 score. Four Pioneers were in double figures in that game as well, with Avery Coston's (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) 21 points leading players to return to this year's roster.

Player of the Week: Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) has been named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Week for a second straight week. Morreale wins the award for his performance against Clarkson. Morreale had 20 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes of action to help propel Utica to a non-conference win over the Golden Knights on Saturday. He was 7-of-9 at the foul line in the winning effort on Saturday.

Where We Sit: The Pioneers have opened the season at 6-2, and have won two straight and five of their last six. Both of the team's losses have been in neutral site games. Utica is 3-0 at home.

Last Time Out: The Pioneer offense doused visiting Clarkson with a 53.7 percent shooting effort from the field and 60 second half points as Utica won a non-conference game by a 101-89 score on Saturday, December 14th. Morreale and sophomore guard Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) each had 20 points. Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) and Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) each had 11 to round out members of the team in double figures. Beyond that grouping, the Pioneers showed great depth in the game as every player to get into the matchup scored points. Utica was 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the second half.

On Fire: Utica leads the Empire 8 in scoring offense at 81.3 points per game. They lead the conference in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point shooting percentage. The Pioneers are fourth in the nation in three point shooting percentage at 42.7 percent. Five players to have started a game for Utica this season are over 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) leads the conference, and is 31st in the nation in Division III at 48.8 percent from downtown. He has made a team-high 20 three point field goals for Utica this season. Morreale is at 42.3 percent, with Hopkins, Lufkin, and Brett Talbert (Deer Park, NY/Knox School) also over 40 percent. Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) leads the squad in field goal percentage at 52.6 percent.

Mr. Consistency: Sophomore guard Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) currently leads the Pioneers in scoring at 13.0 points per game. The second year man for Utica has scored in double figures in seven of his eight games, has had ten or more points in each of his last four contests, and has hit 20 points twice. He is shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 90 percent at the foul line. He leads the conference in free throw percentage.

Setting The Tempo: Hopkins, Remley, and Murphy are the only three players for Utica to have started all eight games.

Not In My House: Junior center Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) leads the Empire 8 conference in blocked shots per game at 3.3 per game. He is also third in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game.

About Anna Maria: The AMCATS are 3-7 to start the season under longtime head coach Shawn Conrad. Guard Bobby Perrette leads the squad in scoring at 19.8 points per game, and big man Mike Rapoza is one of the nation's leading rebounders at 15.8 rebounds per game. Rapoza is the current GNAC player of the week and also averages 17.2 points per game. He just surpassed 1,500 career points.

About Delhi: The Broncos have opened at a 7-3 record and have won four of their last five games. They recently topped Empire 8 team Houghton College by a score of 85-59. They are averaging 84.5 points per game, led by Justin Daoud's 14.1 points per game. Four Broncos average in double figures.

About RPI: The Engineers are 6-2 and have won six straight games since an 0-2 start at the Westfield State tournament that was also attended by Utica. RPI finished in fourth at that tournament with losses to Rutgers-Newark and Westfield State. Since then, they've rattled off a winning streak that includes wins in the last three games by 20 points or more. Mason Memmelaar leads the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game, and has blocked six shots.

Up Next: The Pioneers hit the road on Friday, January 3rd against Hamilton College.