UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's basketball team is set to open conference play this week as the team hosts Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Brockport on Tuesday, January 7, at 5:30pm on Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center. The team then travels west to take on storied Empire 8 rivals in Nazareth and St. John Fisher. Friday, the team will take on Nazareth at 5:30pm and on Saturday, the team will take on St. John Fisher at 2pm. 
 
Follow Along: For those unable to make it, live video for Tuesday's matchup can be found here, and live stats can be found here. Live video for Friday's matchup can be found here, and live stats can be found here. For Saturday's matchup, live video can be found here, and live stats can be found here. 
 
Last Time Out:  The team fell in its final non-conference matchup against the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons on Thursday afternoon by a score of 73-48. Leading the way for the Pioneers was Hayleigh Lagase (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) with 14 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT) and seven rebounds. Natalie Cornell (Greenwood, NY/Jasper-Troupsburg) was a playmaker on offense, recording three assists. McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) was not far behind with 12 points (4-10 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-4 FT) and was a force to be reckoned with on defense, swiping herself three steals. Simmons, Lagase, and Kelsey McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) each recorded one block. 
 
Where We Stand: With the non-conference slate complete, the Pioneers are averaging just over 57 points per game. On defense, the Pioneers find themselves towards the middle of the pack in the conference, allowing just under 66 points per game to opponents. In scoring, Utica has shot just under 36 percent from the floor this season, netting a total of 185 made field goals. From outside, the Pioneers find themselves inside the top five on the leaderboard, making 43 total 3-point field goals out of 156 attempts. At the free throw line, the team has been stout in its attempts, landing Utica inside the top five. 102 of Utica's 146 free throw attempts have been made. In rebounds, the team is averaging 38.2 total team rebounds per game. Utica also finds itself inside the top five in assists with 128 for an average of 14.22 assists per game. The Pioneers have also ranked just outside the top five in the conference in blocked shots, averaging 3.11 blocked shots per game. 
 
Breaking Down Brockport: The Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles have posted a 7-2 record on the season so far. As a team, the Golden Eagles are averaging just over 80 points per game, and have outscored opponents by just over 12 points per game. In turnovers, opponents of the Golden Eagles have recorded 23.9, and the Golden Eagles have notched 27 points off of those turnovers. Per game, Brockport is averaging 15.1 steals per game. Stefanie Jean-Baptiste has been the team's leading scorer, averaging 20.2 points per game. From outside, the team's biggest threat has been Harmony Philo, who leads the team in 3-point field goal percentage with 42.6 percent of her attempts finding the basket. Cam Tooley has been the team's top rebounder, with 70 total rebounds. On defense, Tooley has recorded 49 total defensive rebounds for an average of 5.4 defensive rebounds per game. Tooley has been able to get the offense going, dishing out a team high 38 assists. Claire Turner has been stout for Brockport as well, recording a team high five blocks this season. Peyton Maneri has been the biggest thorn in the sides of offenses this season, swiping 29 total steals for an average of 3.2 steals per game. 
 
Scouting Naz: The Nazareth Golden Flyers have posted a 7-3 record on the season, and are 1-0 in conference play. As a team, the Golden Flyers are averaging 72.5 points per game, and are outscoring opponents by five and a half points per game. Molly Benetti has been the team's leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game. From outside, Madalyn Kelly has been the team's top threat, leading the team in 3-point field goal percentage, with 38.2 percent of her attempts finding the basket. In rebounding, Kiara Anglin and Benetti have both been the team's top rebounders each tallying 63 total rebounds. Anglin holds the lead in offensive rebounds with 16, and Benetti holds the lead in defensive with 52. Katie MacLachlan has been able to get the offense going, dishing out a team high 33 assists. Benetti also holds the team lead in blocks with 23, while Anglin holds the lead in steals with 20. 
 
A Look at Fisher: The St. John Fisher Cardinals have posted a 5-4 record on the season. The Cardinals are averaging just around 69 points per game, and are allowing 69 points per game to opponents. Fisher has also been outrebounded by opponents by just under four total rebounds per game. Sidney Tomasso is the team's leading scorer, averaging 20.3 points per game. From outside, Tomasso has been the team's top threat, with over 43 percent of her attempts falling. Tomasso has also been the team's top rebounder, with 59 total rebounds. With 44 total defensive rebounds, Tomasso is averaging around five and a half defensive rebounds per game. Katie Moravec has been the team's top threat from the floor, holding the team lead in field goal percentage with 52.6. Moravec has also been able to generate offense, dishing out a team high 27 assists. Moravec and Tomasso also hold the team lead in steals with 15 apiece. 

Up Next: The team travels to take on another Empire 8 Conference newcomer in SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday, January 14. Tip off in Geneseo, NY is set for 5:30pm.