The Utica College women's basketball team, powered by 14 second half points from freshman Meghan Fiore, rallied in the final 20 minutes to defeat visiting Elmira College 72-66 in Empire 8 Conference play Sunday afternoon. UC trailed by seven at halftime but the Pioneers outscored the Soaring Eagles 38-25 in the second half to earn the conference victory. Four different players scored 15 points or more for UC including Meghan Fiore, Katie McGee, Jessica Berry and Devon Croll.
UC has secured a bid to its sixth straight Empire 8 Conference Tournament and the Pioneers will travel to top seeded and host Ithaca College next Friday for the opening round of the tournament. Utica will take on Stevens Institute of Technology at 8 p.m. on Friday in the semi-final match up. The winner of the conference tournament earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.
Elmira led for the majority of the first half and extended its lead to as many as nine points, 16-7, after a lay-up by Becca Fretz at 11:02. UC answered with a 10-2 run in a span of 2:04 to cut the Soaring Eagles lead to just one point with 8:21 remaining in the first half of play.
Elmira shot 54.5% (18-for-33) from the floor in the first half and took a seven point lead, 41-34, into the locker room at halftime. Amanda Lawlor sparked the impressive first half for Elmira by scoring all of her 14 points in the first 20 minutes.
Elmira scored the first four points of the second half to take a 45-34 lead. The Pioneers would not go down without a fight and responded to the 11 point deficit by going on a 24-5 run over the course of 8:37 to take an eight point lead. Once the Pioneers took the lead midway through the second half they would never trail again.
Elmira was able to cut the Pioneers lead down to two points with 2:03 to go, but that was as close as they get. Fiore made two lay-ups with under 1:30 to go in the game and Katie McGee knocked down a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left to seal the six point victory for Utica.
Berry finished the day with 16 points and seven rebounds, while McGee and Croll each finished with 15 points. Utica made all seven of its free throw opportunities on the day.
Elmira's Erin Rupell led all scorers with 23 points and she also nabbed 10 rebounds.
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