Utica, NY (1/2/14)- The Utica College women's basketball team opens up Empire 8 Conference play on the road this weekend.  Friday UC travels to Hoboken, NJ for a match up against Stevens Institute of Technology. The Pioneers then turn right around to take on Hartwick College on Saturday in Oneonta, NY.  Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday. 

BEFORE THE BREAK: This is the first game for UC in over three weeks… The Pioneers currently have a 4-4 record… In the last game before break, Utica fell just short, losing 58-57 to Union College… Sophomore Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) had 17 points, while junior Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) netted a season-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor… Senior Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) put forth her seventh double-digit rebounding effort of the year.

GREENWALD AMONGST NATIONAL LEADERS: Senior Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) leads the Empire 8 Conference and sits 15th nationally with 12.9 rebounds per game… Twice this season she has brought down 16 boards, including a season-high 12 off the defensive glass in a 60-59 win over Sage on Nov. 23.  Greenwald is also first in the conference and 40th nationally with four double-doubles.

MICELI LEADING THE WAY: Sophomore Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) leads the team and ranks third in the conference with 16.7 points per game… She is also 64th in the nation, third in the conference, in three-point field goal percentage (41.0)...  So far, she has netted a team-high 16 baskets from behind the arch.

COWELL STEPPING UP: Freshman Kelsey Cowell (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) has been called upon to step up in the absence of sophomore Kelcei Edmonds (Pittsburgh, PA/Shady Side Academy) and Cowell has not disappointed… In three starts, she has totaled 28 points and 31 rebounds… Before the break, Cowell was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Week after averaging 13 points and 13.5 rebounds to help the Pioneers to a 2-0 week on the road... She had a team-high 17 points and chipped in with 12 rebounds in a 68-49 win over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (12/3)...  She followed that up with nine points and a career-high 15 boards in a 71-56 victory at SUNYIT on Dec. 5.

SCOUTING STEVENS: The Ducks are 5-2 overall… This will be the first action Stevens has seen since a 77-67 loss to Kean University on Dec. 2… Senior Avis Benjamin leads the team with 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game… Sophomore Miranda Ripken has netted 8.9 points and 4.9 boards in seven starts this season… UC is 5-11 against Stevens in the last six years… Last year the teams split with each team winning at home.

SCOUTING HARTWICK: The Hawks are currently 6-2 on the season and they are coming off a 66-51 loss to nationally ranked No. 7 Tufts University on Monday… Hartwick will open up Empire 8 play on Friday as it hosts Ithaca College… Sophomore Brittney Dumas leads the team with 15.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game… UC is 7-3 against 'Wick in the last five years… Last year, the Pioneers fell 58-50 in Oneonta on Dec. 4, before coming back to top the Hawks 64-61 in their first ever televised game on Time Warner Cable Sports on Feb. 5.

LOOKING AHEAD: UC continues conference play next weekend as it hosts Elmira College and Ithaca College for a weekend set… The Pioneers take on Elmira at 8 p.m. on Friday and Ithaca at 4 p.m. on Saturday.


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