UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team used a 14-4 run over the course of 6:35 early in the fourth quarter to pull away from visiting Bard College as the Pioneers earned a 58-49 victory in non-conference action on Saturday at the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium.

The Pioneers snapped a three game slide and improved to 3-4 overall on the year.  Bard has now lost four of its last five games as its record also moved to 3-4. 

All nine of the Utica players who saw action scored at least two points, including sophomore Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop), who led the way with 12 points and four rebounds.  Calypso Carty (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) and Amanda Henderson (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) each recorded eight points for the Pioneers.

Bard was led by a 20 point effort from Bianka Bell, but the Raptor point guard also turned the ball over 16 times on the afternoon.  Bard's Tytravia Riley added 13 points and 21 rebounds.

The Pioneer press was disruptive all afternoon, holding the Raptors to just 17 first half points and causing 27 total turnovers. 

UC outscored the visitors 17-9 in the first ten minutes of action and held the eight point lead headed into the second quarter of play. The Pioneers extended their lead to as many as 16 points, 25-9, midway through the second quarter and managed a 30-17 lead at the half. 

Bard came alive in the second half and used a 15-2 run in the first 5:49 to knot the score at 32-32 with 4:11 to go in the third quarter of action.

However, the Raptors never did take the outright lead and the Pioneers opened the fourth quarter on a 9-4 run to take a ten point lead, 50-40, with 5:20 to go in regulation.

The Raptors cut their deficit to seven points on four occasions down the stretch, but that was as close as they would get as the Pioneers came away with the nine point victory.

 UC's Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle), who was honored prior to the game for scoring her 1,000^th career point this past week at Hamilton College, finished the night with seven points.  Freshman Rachel Hunter (West Islip, NY/West Islip) scored six points and added four rebounds, while Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) added three points, five rebounds and three steals for Utica.

The Pioneers return to action on Wednesday when they host Morrisville State in a non-conference clash at 7 p.m.