Utica, NY (1/8/15)- The Utica College women's basketball team looks to get back on track with an Empire 8 Conference series this weekend. On Friday, the Pioneers travel to Elmira to take on the Soaring Eagles (6 p.m.). UC will then travel to Alfred University on Saturday for a match up against the Saxons (2 p.m.).
GAME COVERAGE: Live stats and video for both games will be provided by the home team's athletic communications department… Links to game coverage can be found on the women's basketball scheduled page of ucpioneers.com.
LAST TIME OUT: Utica is coming off a 55-52 loss at Empire 8 frontrunner, Stevens Institute of Technology on Tuesday… Senior forward
Samantha Stayer (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) led UC with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals, while freshman
Amanda Henderson (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) came off the bench and scored a career-high 10 points and added four rebounds.
SO CLOSE: The Pioneers have lost their last two contests, against league-leaders Ithaca and Stevens, by just nine points combined… UC fell to Ithaca 80-74 in double-overtime on Saturday… Most recently, Utica lost to Stevens 55-52… The Pioneers have lost three games so far by six points or less.
LEADING THE WAY: Junior
Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) leads the team and ranks ninth in the conference with 13.0 points per game… Her .818 free throw percentage is also a team-best and ranks second in the conference.
STAYER HEATING UP: Senior
Samantha Stayer (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) has averaged 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in her last three games… Stayer recorded her first double-double of the year against Ithaca by hitting 14 points and grabbing 10 boards… She is currently second on the team and 13th in the conference with 10.7 points per game.
SCOUTING ELMIRA: The Soaring Eagles are 4-6 overall and sit right in front of the Pioneers in the conference standings with a 1-2 mark in league play… After dropping back-to-back games against Ithaca and St. John Fisher, Elmira downed Alfred University, 69-62 on Tuesday… The Soaring Eagles have two players averaging over 15 points per game… Senior Alex Balara has a team-high 17.7 points per game, while freshman Danielle Cleary has averaged 15.9 points per game… UC is 7-3 against the Soaring Eagles in the last five years.
SCOUTING ALFRED: The Saxons are 3-8 and 0-3 in the E8… Most recently, Alfred lost to Elmira, 69-62 in conference action on Tuesday… Sophomore Amanda Off leads the team with 17.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game… UC is 9-1 against Alfred in the last ten years… Last year, the teams split the series, with the visiting team winning each contest… In Utica's 84-79 victory over the Saxons last season, senior
Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) brought down 17 rebounds and added 16 points, while
Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) was Utica's top scorer, netting 25 points on the day.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers return home next weekend for a conference double-header against Houghton and Nazareth. UC hosts Houghton Friday at 6 p.m. before welcoming Naz on Saturday (2 p.m.).
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