Utica, NY (1/16/15)- The Utica College women's basketball team downed visiting Houghton College 65-45 in Empire 8 Conference action Friday evening at the Clark Athletic Center.
 
With the win, Utica improves to 7-8 on the season and 3-3 in the E8.  The Pioneers return to action Saturday as they host Nazareth College in a key Empire 8 match up.  Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.   Houghton drops to 3-11 and 0-6 in the conference.
 
The Highlanders opened the game on a 6-0 run in the first 2:05, but the Pioneers responded to outscore the visitors 31-4 over the next 15 minutes and took a comfortable 34-16 lead into halftime.  UC outscored Houghton by just two points in the second half, however the damage was done as Utica picked up its third straight win. 
 
Freshmen Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) and Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) scored in the double digits, netting 13 and 11 points, respectively.  Senior Samantha Stayer (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) scored eight points and added a team-high seven rebounds, while Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) had seven points and six steals.  Freshmen Emily Pinckney (Canton, NY/High C. Williams), Maggie Tabone (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili), Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah), and Amanda Henderson (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) combined for 18 points off the bench to pace the Pioneers.  The UC bench outscored the Highlander subs 31-7. 


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