Women's Basketball | 1/6/2026 11:17:00 PM
UTICA, NY - Junior Vanessa Hall who became the fastest player in program history to eclipse the 1,000 career point milestone in her 57th career game, as the Utica University women's basketball team fell in its conference opening matchup against the Russell Sage College Gators by a score of 68-54 on Tuesday evening.
Hall led the team with 22 points (5-11 FG, 2-5 3pt, 10-12 FT) and reached 1,013 career points at the conclusion of the contest. She reached the 1,000-point milestone on a pair of three throws with 5:31 left in the third quarter.
McKenzie Simmons also finished in double scoring figures with 13 points (4-10 FG, 2-5 3pt, 3-4 FT). Leading the rebounding efforts for the Pioneers was Natalie Cornell who managed to bring in nine rebounds on the evening. Defensively, Simmons and Madison Marusic each managed a pair of steals, while Marusic and Madison LaDuke each tallied a block.
The opening period featured back-and-forth action as Utica and Sage traded baskets through the first five minutes. Vanessa Hall got the Pioneers going with a three-pointer, while Natalie Cornell scored inside and controlled the glass defensively. Mackenzie Simmons provided a spark late, knocking down a three and converting at the free-throw line as Utica closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take an 18–17 edge after one.
Sage seized momentum early in the second, stringing together defensive stops and capitalizing in transition to build a small lead. Utica continued to generate quality looks, with Madison Marusic and Cornell scoring in the paint, but Sage answered consistently from the perimeter and at the free-throw line. A late layup in the final seconds pushed Sage ahead 32–25 heading into halftime.
Utica worked to cut into the deficit coming out of the break, getting contributions from Hall and Simmons while Marusic knocked down a key three to keep the Pioneers within striking distance. Sage, however, controlled the tempo for much of the quarter, converting second-chance opportunities and free throws to maintain separation. Despite continued defensive effort from Utica, Sage carried a 53–44 advantage into the final period.
The Pioneers showed fight in the closing quarter, as Hall scored multiple times at the rim and from the line, and Simmons added another three to trim the margin. Utica forced several turnovers and pushed the pace, but Sage responded each time with timely baskets and strong rebounding. A late Sage run extended the lead into double figures, as the visitors closed out a 68–54 result despite Utica competing through the final horn.
Utica (4-6, 0-1 Empire 8) returns to action on Friday, January 9 as the team travels to take on the Houghton University Highlanders. Tip off from Houghton, NY is set for 5:30pm.