UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team is set for a weekend homestand this week. On Friday, January 23 the team will host Keuka College, with a tip off from Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center set for 7:30pm, before hosting Elmira College on Saturday, January 24 with a tip off set for 4pm. 
 
Follow Along: For those unable to attend, live video for both contests can be found here, and live stats here. 
 
Last Time Out: The team saw its recent four-game win streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon as the Pioneers fell in the final moments of overtime to a plucky Geneseo Knights team. The Knights would tie the game at 70 with 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock, and then completed the comeback to win 77-74 in overtime. Liam Teague (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) logged a team-high 19 points in the contest, also pulling down eight rebounds as he went an efficient 8-12 from the floor and 2-3 from beyond the arc. Jordan Cain (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) and Thompson scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, to supplement the offense. Senior sharpshooter Ryan McCardle (Hurley, NY/Kingston) was the final Pioneer to register double-digit scoring, notching 11 points thanks to a personal 11-0 run in the second half that helped the hosts take a late lead. Keyaton Parks (Albany, NY/Green Tech High Charter) played a key role on Saturday afternoon, scoring eight points, pulling down 12 rebounds, and blocking four shots in the matchup.
 
Key to the Game: Keyaton Parks (Albany, NY/Green Tech High Charter) delivered a dominant all-around week for Utica, anchoring the Pioneers on both ends of the floor across three contests. Parks averaged 12.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 66.7 percent from the field, recording double-digit rebounds in two of the three games. He opened the week with 12 points and five boards against Hartwick, then followed with a standout 16-point, 14-rebound performance against SUNY Brockport, adding six blocks to control the paint defensively. Parks closed the stretch with another strong interior showing versus SUNY Geneseo, pulling down 12 rebounds and tallying four blocks while logging nearly 40 minutes.
 
Balanced Buckets: Last week, the Pioneers managed over 44 percent from the field and 33 percent shooting from three, showing the team can achieve a balance between inside efficiency and perimeter scoring. Utica has managed over 70 points per game in its last three contests, led by Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy), who has managed a team leading 16 points per game over the last three games, shooting .467 from the floor, and leading a consistent free throw presence for the Pioneers, who have averaged 15.7 made free throws per game last week, converting almost 94 percent of the time from the line. Inside the paint, Liam Teauge has also contributed consistently with an average of 15.7 points per game through the last three games, and over seven rebounds per game.
 
A Look at Keuka: Keuka enters the matchup at 6–9 overall and 3–3 in conference play, with all three league wins coming at home. The Wolves are still searching for their first road win this season (0–6 away), a contrast to their strong home performances. Keuka averages 71.1 points per game, shooting 40.4% from the field and 29.8% from three. The clear engine is Lamar Lovelace, who ranks among the conference's top scorers at 20.0 points per game while averaging over 30 minutes per contest. Lovelace is effective at all three levels and draws contact, shooting 86.8% from the free-throw line. Supporting scoring comes from Akinlana Popoola (12.9 ppg) and interior presences Kaleb Nutifafa (8.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Makya Morrison (8.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg), giving Keuka a legitimate inside-outside balance. Keuka's strength defensively is on the glass and around the rim. The Wolves average 42.5 rebounds per game, owning a +4.1 rebounding margin, and rank among the league leaders with 4.1 blocks per game. Nutifafa and Morrison have combined for 42 total blocks, anchoring Keuka's interior defense and making paint touches difficult. However, Keuka can be vulnerable in transition and ball pressure situations, as opponents average 8.8 steals per game against them. Keuka prefers a controlled pace but has struggled with ball security, averaging 15.1 turnovers per game and a –1.7 turnover margin. 
 
Scouring Elmira: Elmira enters at 6–9 overall and 1–5 in conference play, though the record is deceptive. The Soaring Eagles play at a fast pace and have pushed several league opponents into high-scoring, late-game situations, including an 84–87 road loss at St. John Fisher and an 83–71 loss at Brockport. Elmira averages 80.2 points per game, one of the higher scoring outputs in the conference, and looks to push tempo early. The Soaring Eagles attempt nearly 31 three-pointers per game, connecting 28.7 percent of the time, and average nine made threes per contest.The offense runs through Kelton Brown, who averages 21.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient .543 from the floor. Brown is effective in transition and on the offensive glass but can be forced into tough shots at the line (51.7% FT). Tyler Cardello (14.7 ppg) provides secondary scoring and physicality, while perimeter shooting threats Alec Mercer and Emmanuel Karkari-Mensah stretch defenses with volume from deep. Elmira rebounds well, averaging 43.1 rebounds per game with a +2.2 rebounding margin, and looks to turn misses into quick scoring chances. Defensively, the Soaring Eagles can be vulnerable in the half court. Opponents shoot 45.0% from the field against Elmira, and the Soaring Eagles allow 83.5 points per game, often due to breakdowns after the first action. Elmira does apply pressure, averaging 8.1 steals per game. The Soaring Eagles average 15.7 turnovers per game with a –2.1 turnover margin, and in conference play that number rises further. 
 
Up Next: The team will take on its first cross-town clash of the season, making the short trip to take on SUNY Poly. Tip off on Tuesday, January 27 is set for 7:30 from the Campus Center Gym.