Utica Women's Basketball Makes it Three in a Row
Utica, NY (2-11-12) - Junior forward Meghan Fiore dropped a career-high 35 points Saturday afternoon to lead the Utica College women's basketball team to its third straight Empire 8 Conference game, 73-69, over Elmira College. UC has now won three striaght conference contests, on the road, to imrpove to 10-14 overall while moving its E8 record 5-8.
The first half featurd ten lead changes and eight ties with biggest lead taken by Elmira, 6-2, early at 17:35. The Pioneers used a 16-10 run over the next ten minutes to take a slight 18-16 lead at 11:25. The squads would trade baskets over the next seven minutes, including six ties, posting a 32-32 score at 3:56. UC edged a 7-4 advantage into the break as it led the home team 39-36 at intermission.
The Soaring Eagles opened up the second half with a 9-5 run to edge a 45-44 lead at 15:59. It was then Utica began to break away as a 12-0 spurt, over the next five minutes, showcased the contest's largest lead of the game, 56-45, with 10:24 to play. The home team put together a valiant comeback, pulling within two points of the Pioneer lead, 67-65, over the next eight minutes, with 2:36 left on the clock. However, UC senior guard Katie McGee ended the threat with another clutch performance at the foul line, hitting four straight freebies, for the second day in a row, to close out the game.
McGee racked up 13 points, on an impressive 9-of-10 from the free throw line, along with five dishes as she remains the E8 leader in assists.
Freshman Bridget Greenwald posted a stellar outing with 13 points while snatching nine boards off the bench.
Fiore, McGee and Greenwald combined for 61 of Utica's 73 points, including 19-of-22 from the free throw line, as UC grabbed its tenth victory of the season.