Elmira 53, Utica 52
Karli Pochkar '16 scored the go-ahead layup with just seven seconds left in the game and Utica College's Ashley Mayo missed a pair of free throws with two seconds on the clock, lifting the Elmira College women's basketball team to a much-needed 53-52 victory over Utica. The Soaring Eagles overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to salvage a split with the Pioneers, avenging a previous loss that saw Utica accomplish nearly the same feat.
Pochkar's game-winning layup gave her 12 points in the game, coming on 6-of-10 shooting. Her point total was second on the team as
Alex Balara '15 scored a game-high 21 points while playing all 40 minutes of tonight's game. Balara hit 5-of-7 from three-point range, shooting 7-of-13 overall, and was a perfect 2-of-2 from the free throw line. In addition to her 21 points, Balara added three rebounds, three steals, one block, and one assist.
The remaining 20 points of Elmira's scoring total came from four players,
Meghan Loya '16,
Kelsey Geisler '15,
Danielle Cleary '18, and
Jessica Brooks '16. Loya had seven points and tied for the game-high with 10 rebounds. She also recorded three assists and three blocks. Geisler turned in six points and five assists, and Cleary scored five points while matching Loya with 10 rebounds. Cleary also notched two assists, her final one coming Pochkar's game-winning layup.
The two teams traded the lead for much of the first half, with neither the Soaring Eagles nor the Pioneers leading by more than four points until the 8:04 mark of the opening half. Brooks' only points of the night, a jumper, gave EC a 20-15 lead, but Utica answered with a basket of their own on the very next possession to a one-possession game again. That basket was the start of a 15-3 Pioneer run that spanned the remainder of the half and put the Purple and Gold behind 30-23 at the break.
EC's deficit did not last long as they opened the second half on a 10-0 run to regain a 33-30 advantage. The Pioneers responded with a 7-0 run to back up by four points, which would be their largest lead of the second half. Elmira trailed 38-39 with 12:28 to play, but a Balara three-pointer kicked-off a 9-1 run that gave the Soaring Eagles their largest lead of the night at 47-40.
Just like every other instance in tonight's game, the lead was not safe as Utica chipped away at the deficit and regained the lead at 50-49 with just 2:04 left in regulation. A pair of free throws from Geisler with 1:14 on the clock put EC back in front, 51-50, but a Bridget Greenwald layup brought another lead change with just 24 seconds to play.
The 24 seconds remaining in the game proved to be plenty of time for the Soaring Eagles to execute their final play as Cleary found Pochkar for the go-ahead layup with only seven seconds to play. The Pioneers had one last opportunity to win the game as Loya fouled Ashley Mayo with two seconds left, putting her on the line for a pair of free throws. Mayo missed both attempts and EC gained possession, sealing their 53-52 win.
Stevens 66, Hartwick 60
The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team overcame an eight point first half deficit Friday en route to picking up a 66-60 road win over Hartwick College.
With the win, Stevens (13-2, 7-1) is off its best start in Empire 8 Conference play in program history. The loss dropped Hartwick to 4-13.
Junior
Kaitlyn Astel led all scorers with 20 points for her 11
th straight double-digit scoring effort. Junior
Dylan Krause added seven points and nine rebounds while freshman
Sydney Darby chipped-in with 12 points. Sophomore
Erica Guketlov dished-out five assists.
Hartwick jumped out to an eight point lead through the first five minutes before a three pointer from sophomore
Daphne Ginn with 14 minutes reaming halted the Hawks momentum. The Ducks continued to eat into the deficit before a three-point-play from Astel tied the game at 17 midway through the half.
From there, both teams went back-and-forth over the next six minutes until a tie game at the four minute mark gave way to 6-0 Hartwick run. The Ducks were able to respond though in the final minute thanks to three points from Astel to cut the lead to three going into the break.
Krause connected on a three to start the second half, sparking an 18-4 Stevens run over the first eight minutes. Darby capped the run with five total points on consecutive possessions to put the Ducks up 11.
Stevens extended the lead to 15 midway through the half off a layup from sophomore
Brittany Washington, but a Hartwick run over the next eight minutes cut the Ducks lead to seven with two minutes to go. Astel managed a response though with a three-point-play before a pair of free throws from Darby with under 20 seconds to go clinched the win.
St. John Fisher 81, Houghton 38
Head coach
Marianne O'Connor Ermi picked up her 100th career win on Friday night as the St. John Fisher College women's basketball team recorded its third straight win with an 81-38 victory over host Houghton College.
O'Connor Ermi is just the second head coach in the program, taking the reins in 2008 after Phil Kahler retired in November 2008. O'Connor Ermi served as an assistant coach for 23 years under Kahler, who posted a 797-175 record in his 33 seasons.
In her seven years as head coach, O'Connor Ermi owns a 100-72 record and has led the Cardinals to five Empire 8 Championship appearances.
With today's win, the Cardinals improve to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in the Empire 8, while Houghton falls to 3-13 and 0-8, respectively.
Fisher used a balance attack with seven players scoring, five of which posted double figures.
Portia Velasco led the way with 15 points in 17 minutes with four steals.
Sydney Bloomstein matched her season-high in boards (nine) while adding 14 points.
Mary Kate Cusack also tallied 14 points with eight steals.
Bridget Carney and
Lunden Cunningham combined for 23 points.
Emily Piacentini netted a trio of 3-pointers for nine points.
Claire Walsh and
Caroline Robertson recorded career-high numbers in rebounds with six and five, respectively.
Ithaca 82, Alfred 43
The Ithaca College women's basketball team stretches their win streak to seven after defeating Alfred 82-43 in a conference showdown on Friday night at Ben Light Gymnasium. Ithaca is now 13-3 on the season and posts a 7-0 record in the Empire 8.
The Saxons scored the first basket of the game. Ithaca then responded with a foul shot and three-pointer by
Ali Ricchiuti, assisted by
Samantha Klie, to keep the lead for the remainder of the game.
Ricchiuti went 5-7 on the night to lead the Bombers with 13 points, adding four rebounds, an assist and a block. Klie recorded a team high 6 assists, while also adding five rebounds, two points and a steal.
Ithaca shot 51.4% in the first half and outscored the Saxons 44-22 at halftime, with 31 of those points coming from the bench.
Senior
Francesca Cotrupe came just shy of a double-double with nine total points and 11 rebounds. She also earned two steals, one block and one assist.
Freshman
Allison Spaschak earned a career-high 10 points off of two three-pointers, a pair of free throws and a lay-up. She added a rebound and a block as well.
All 15 Bombers saw at least four minutes of action in the conference game. Fourteen athletes scored minimum of one basket for Ithaca and ten of those tallied four or more points.
Freshmen
Jordan Beers and
Alex Gilligan each recorded eight points and a steal on the night. Beers also grabbed three rebounds and three assists for Ithaca. Gilligan added a rebound as well.
Senior
Ally Mnich led the team with a season-best four steals. Mnich scored six points and contributed two rebounds and an assist. Fellow senior
Geena Brady tied a career-best three blocks, while adding two assists and three rebounds for Ithaca.
Junior
Keri Steele tallied five points, three rebounds and a steal and assist each.
Sophomores
Erin Ferguson and
Shayna Gaskins posted six and five points respectively. Gaskins contributed six rebounds, marking a career-high. Ferguson grabbed five rebounds and two steals.
Freshmen
Sage VanAmerongen,
Erin Woop and
Julie Yacovoni all contributed a basket each for the Bombers. VanAmerongen recorded three rebounds and a steal, while Woop tallied two rebounds and three assists. Yacovoni logged three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Freshmen
Annie Murray added a career-best four points and three rebounds for Ithaca.
The Bombers largest lead of 41 points came at 2:06 in the second half. Of the 82 total points recorded for Ithaca, 47 came from the bench.
As a whole, Ithaca tallied 54 rebounds, 21 assists and 16 steals.