Pioneers Earn First Conference Win; Bombers and Cardinals Win at Home

2/14/2014 11:02:00 PM

Utica 84, Alfred 79 (Box Score)
The Utica College women's basketball team snapped an eight game slide and won its first Empire 8 Conference contest of the season as the Pioneers topped host Alfred University 84-79 Friday night. Utica used a big 17-2 run late in the contest to earn the five point victory.

The contest featured eight ties and four lead changes, and the Pioneers largest lead of the game came in the first half after a 13-4 run in a span of 5:54 pushed the UC lead to 36-29 with 2:36 to go in the first half of play. Alfred answered immediately with a 12-3 run in the final 2:36 of the half to take a 41-39 advantage as the first half horn sounded.

Alfred extended its lead to as many as 11 points, 73-62, with 7:34 remaining until Utica used a 17-2 run in a span of 3:25 to take a 79-75 lead with 3:09 remaining. Alfred was able to cut its deficit to one point, 80-79, with 1:42 to go, but the Pioneers were a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch and held the host Saxons scoreless in the final 1:41 to earn the victory.


St. John Fisher 66, Nazareth 57 (Box Score )
The St. John Fisher College women's basketball team defeated East Avenue rival Nazareth College 66-57 on Friday night at Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium, fueled by a career-high 31 points from Mary Kate Cusack.  

Fisher led 26-23 at the break but Nazareth evened up the score at 37 apiece at the 11:35 mark.  However, Cusack rattled home a 3-pointer, which helped fuel a 14-0 run for Fisher, to give the Cardinals a 51-37 lead with just under seven minutes remaining.

The Golden Flyers would not go away though, as they responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 51-43.  Nazareth would come no closer than seven points the rest of the way and the Cardinals held on for the victory.

Fisher struggled early in the game falling behind 18-8 midway through the first half.  Claire Walsh made a layup to make it 11-8 before Nazareth went on a 7-0 run.

However Fisher ramped up its defensive pressure, behind Cusack's four first half steals, to claw back into the game.  Camaryn Buckner converted a traditional 3-point play to give Fisher a 23-21 advantage with 4:09 left in the half.   Nazareth went nearly eight minutes without a field goal and Fisher held the slight edge at the break.


Ithaca 63, Elmira 57 (Box Score)
The Ithaca College women's basketball team (19-4, 11-1 Empire 8) outlasted visiting Elmira (15-7, 6-5 Empire 8) to claim a 63-57 victory over the Soaring Eagles Friday night at Ben Light Gymnasium.

The Bombers scored the first bucket of the game and led the rest of the way. They powered ahead by double digits at 12:26 of the first and improved their gap to 20, before an Elmira jumper at the buzzer cut the halftime advantage to 43-25.

The Soaring Eagles held Ithaca to just 20 second-half points. Elmira crept within 11 at 11:43 with a 12-5 run. The Soaring Eagles erased their double-digit deficit, pulling within nine at the eight-minute mark and again a minute later. A Jenn Escobido jumper and a Kathryn Campbell three helped the Bombers back to a 14-point spread at 4:34.

Elmira pieced together a 13-3 streak in the waning minutes for a four-point game with 16 ticks lingering in the game, 61-57. Campbell drained two from the charity stripe to help the Bombers to their 13th straight win over the local opponent. The victory was Ithaca's 11th straight.

Ithaca outrebounded Elmira, 40-29. The Soaring Eagles shot 45.3 percent from the floor to the Bombers' 41.5 percent. Ithaca hit 57.7 percent in the first frame before closing the game with a cold 25.9-percent second-half performance.

SCHOOL	CONF	OVERALL
Ithaca	11-1	19-4
Hartwick	11-1	18-4
Stevens	8-4	15-7
Elmira	6-5	15-7
St. John Fisher	7-6	15-9
Nazareth	2-9	8-14
Alfred	1-10	6-16
Utica	1-11	6-16
Houghton	0-0	7-15
Houghton is an NCAA provisional member and is not eligible for postseason. Games against the Highlanders will not impact conference records/standings.