Box Score
Nazareth 64, Utica 63 - Women's Basketball Final

Utica, NY (1/22/2013) – The Utica College women's basketball team to lost to visiting Nazareth College 64-63 in Empire 8 Conference action Tuesday night at the Clark Athletic Center. The Pioneers trailed by double digits for the majority of the second half but they were able to make a late run that fell just short in the closing minutes.  Senior forward Meghan Fiore (Epping, NH/Epping) led the Pioneers with 15 points, while freshman Racquel Baudanza (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) added 14 points, including two key second half 3-pointers to spark the UC comeback. 

The Pioneers even their overall mark at 9-9 while falling to 5-3 in E8 play and hit the road for three-straight conference contests beginning Friday, Jan. 25th in Rochester, NY for a 6 p.m. tip-off against the St. John Fisher Cardinals. The Golden Flyers move their overall record to 6-12 including a 3-6 mark in the conference.  Naz returns to its home-hardwood Friday, Jan 25th when it welcomes Alfred University to Kidera Gymnasium.

The teams traded 3-pointers right out of the gate before Nazareth managed a 6-0 run to take a 9-3 lead just over five minutes into the contest, at 15:22.  UC battled back and tied the contest up 9-9 at the 12:30 mark off a lay-up from Fiore.  The squads traded baskets over the next few minutes before UC edged a brief one-point lead, 14-13, at 8:50. The Golden Flyers would then flash a 22-11 run to close out the first 20 minutes of play with a ten point advantage, 35-25.

Naz came out of the locker room and quickly extended its rush to a 15-point lead, over the first five minutes, to take a 46-31 lead, with 14:51 remaining. The visitors would hang on to that 15-point cushion for the next five minutes before the Pioneers surged back with 15-4 run to pull within two points, 57-55, at 3:09. In the final three minutes, UC pulled within three points of the lead twice, however they were unable to muster a full comeback, losing 64-63, in the final seconds.

Fiore finished with 15 points and five boards while Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) added 10 points and six rebounds.  Racquel Baudanza (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) netted 14 points on 3-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-5 from the free throw line, while classmate Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) added 10 points and seven boards of her own.

Naz's Lindsey Kelly led all scorers with 18 points, while Erica Shaw chipped in with 14 for the Golden Flyers.