UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's basketball team is set for its final regular season matchup. On Tuesday, February 17 the team will welcome SUNY Poly for a crosstown showdown matchup, with a tip off slated for 7:30pm from Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center. 
 
Follow Along: For those unable to attend, live video can be found here, and live stats can be found here. Tune in to the Empire 8 Network for pregame coverage, courtesy of UticaTV. 
 
Last Time Out: The team fell to the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles by a score of 76-65 on the road Saturday afternoon. Three Pioneers finished in double scoring figures, led by Dayion Thompson (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) (5-15 FG, 3-9 3pt, 5-5 FT) and Ryan McCardle (Hurley, NY/Kingston) (6-16 FG, 4-10 3pt, 2-2 FT) who each totaled 18 points on the afternoon, followed by Jordan Cain (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) with 14 (3-15 FG, 1-9 3pt, 7-8 FT). Liam Teague (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) paced the rebounding efforts for the Pioneers, hauling in a team leading 11 boards, followed by Keyaton Parks (Albany, NY/Green Tech High Charter) with 10, and Cain with six. Defensively, Teague and Cain both managed a pair of steals, while Parks managed three blocks and Teague tallied a pair as well.
 
Playoff Picture: The Pioneers have clinched a berth into the 2026 Empire 8 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament for the seventh consecutive season. Utica is currently holding the fourth seed in the tournament, and have kept alive the Pioneers' hopes for a home playoff game. Utica can finish as high as fourth, and as low as sixth in the final seedings. To finish fourth, the Pioneers would need to secure a win over Poly on Tuesday. If the Pioneers fall to Poly on Tuesday, and SUNY Brockport wins its matchup against SUNY Geneseo, the Pioneers would finish in sixth and end up traveling to their quarterfinal opponent. The Pioneers cannot overtake the third seed from SUNY Geneseo, as the Pioneers lose the head to head tiebreaker after going 0-2 against the Knights this season. SUNY Poly can also finish as high as fourth, and as low as sixth in the standings, finishing fourth with a win over the Pioneers on Tuesday, and finishing sixth with a loss and a Brockport win. Fans can expect a heavy hitting matchup on Tuesday, as both the Pioneers and Wildcats are fighting for the home court advantage heading into the quarterfinal round of the tournament. More information regarding the playoff will be released as it is available. 
 
Scouting Poly: SUNY Poly enters the matchup at 17–7 overall and 10–5 in Empire 8 play, averaging 75.2 points per game while allowing just 67.1, good for a +8.0 scoring margin. In conference games, that production climbs to 76.3 points per game, and their efficiency improves across the board, shooting 48.8 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from three against league opponents. The Wildcats are led by Anthony Rose, who averages 18.6 points per game overall and 19.0 per game in conference play. Rose is an efficient scorer who shoots nearly 48 percent from the field and 84.5 percent from the free-throw line, consistently getting downhill and drawing contact. Marqiis Samuels adds 9.6 points per game overall (11.7 in conference) and serves as the team's primary facilitator, leading the group in assists while shooting over 54 percent from the floor in league games. Inside, Kamryn Comstock provides balance at 10.5 points and seven rebounds per game, shooting 51.7 percent from the field, while William Scanlon stretches the floor as their top perimeter threat. Scanlon is shooting 45.8 percent from three overall and an impressive 52.6 percent from deep in conference play, making him a major catch-and-shoot weapon. As a team, SUNY Poly shoots 47.9 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc, while averaging 14.0 assists per game, showing their ability to share the ball and generate different looks. They hold a +3.8 rebounding margin and average four blocks per game, with multiple frontcourt players contributing on the glass and protecting the rim. Defensively, opponents shoot just 42.1 percent from the floor and 28.8 percent from three against them, underscoring their ability to contest shots and control tempo. 
 
Run it Back: In the January 27 meeting at the Campus Center Gym, Utica earned an 84–79 victory over SUNY Poly in a game that featured multiple lead changes and strong second-half execution. The Pioneers shot an efficient 52.7 percent from the field, including 44.4 percent from three, and placed four players in double figures, led by Dayion Thompson's (Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy) 20 points and Keyaton Parks' (Albany, NY/Green Tech High Charter) 19 point, seven rebound performance. Utica built a 12-point halftime lead and withstood a second-half push from Poly, knocking down 22 free throws and finishing strong in the final minute to secure the five-point win.
 
Up Next: Utica has clinched a 2026 Empire 8 Men's Basketball playoff berth. More information regarding the playoff will be released as it is available.