UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's basketball team will look to push its winning streak to 11 games on Tuesday at home against conference foe Keuka College. Tip off versus the Keuka Wolves is set for 7 p.m. at Miga Court.
 
Follow Along: Live video and stats for Tuesday's game can be found through https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.
 
Last Time Out: UC is coming off a weekend sweep of Empire 8 conference rivals No. 23 Nazareth College and St. John Fisher. On Friday, the Pioneers took command of the Empire 8 Conference by defeating the nationally ranked Golden Flyers 82-67, avenging the team's 40-point loss earlier in the season. Utica was led by seniors Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) and Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian), who both finished with 24 points and shot a combined 10-for-13 from beyond the arc. Hopkins also recorded his 1,000th career point as a Pioneer, becoming only the 16th player in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark. On Saturday, Utica honored its seniors and saw impressive efforts from seniors Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) and Chris Green (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton) to help defeat the Cardinals 72-46. Lufkin had a career game for Utica, scoring 29 points while shooting 7-for-10 from three. Green used a career-high 19 points on senior night to help UC win its third straight game against Fisher, marking just the second three-game winning streak the program has owned over the Cardinals and the first time since 1975-77. 
 
History at Hand: With a current record of 19-3, the Pioneers are tied for 18th in the nation in winning percentage while the .867 percent mark is currently the best win percentage of all time for a single season in program history. With a win against Keuka Tuesday, Utica would win its 20th game for only the second time in program history and for the first time since the 2005-2006 season where the team went 23-7 and made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Also, the win against Keuka would be the Pioneers' 13th conference win of the season which would mark the most all-time for a single season in program history. 
 
Letting it Fly: After coming off one of his best career games as a Pioneer with a career best 29 points and seven made threes, senior Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) moved himself into second in the nation in three-point percentage (47.5), trailing only Eitan Halpert from nationally ranked Yeshiva University. Lufkin not only had a career game last weekend, but he is currently averaging career highs in three-point percentage (47.5), points per game (12.9), and rebounds per game (3.45). In just 22 games this season, Lufkin already has more field goals made (95), three-point field goals made (56), and total points (284), rebounds (76), steals (25) and blocks (3) than any other single season in his five-year Pioneer career.
 
Coston in the Clutch: Senior forward Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) had a season-high 24 points against nationally ranked Nazareth College, marking his first 20-plus point game since Feb. 15, 2019. In the game against the Golden Flyers, Coston was a hot hand for the Pioneers, making 5-of-7 three-point shots. In the game against St. John Fisher on Saturday, Coston had six rebounds, six assists and two blocks as his defensive presence helped Utica defeat the Cardinals.
 
Mr. 1,000: Over the weekend, senior guard Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) used a 24-point effort against the Golden Flyers to become the 16th Pioneer in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark. In the game, Hopkins made 5-of-6 three pointers and shot 7-for-9 from the free throw line, having his best scoring game since Feb. 15, 2020, where he scored 28 points against St. John Fisher. 
 
Scouting Keuka: The Wolves are 3-17 overall (3-9 Empire 8) and are currently coming off losses to St. John Fisher and Nazareth. The team is led by junior guard Devin Milton, who averages 15.8 points per game and leads the team in minutes per game (25). Utica is 16-6 all-time against Keuka. The last time the teams played was less than two weeks ago on February 4, where the Pioneers defeated the Wolves 104-85 in Keuka Park, NY. 

Looking Ahead: After playing their final regular season home game on Tuesday, the Pioneers will head to Houghton College on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.