UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team lost to visiting Houghton College 68-62 in Empire 8 Conference action on Saturday afternoon.  Three players scored in double-figures for the Pioneers including Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) (20), Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) (16) and Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) (10). Tripp's 16 points were a new career-high and she also posted her second double-double of the season.

The Pioneers (6-8, 1-4 Empire 8) look to snap a four game slide on Tuesday when they travel to St. John Fisher College to take on the Cardinals at 8 p.m. Houghton snapped a five game losing streak and improved to 7-8 overall and 1-5 in the Empire 8.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 14-10 lead in the first 8:04 of action behind eight points from Miceli.  The Highlanders went on a 5-0 run to end the first quarter with their first lead of the contest, 15-14. 

The Highlanders extended their lead to as many as nine points, 32-23, with 4:35 to go in the first half before the Pioneers made another surge.  UC closed out the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 35-34 lead as the intermission horn sounded. 

The third quarter featured three lead changes and three ties and the Pioneers held a one point advantage, 45-44, headed into the final ten minutes of play.

UC pushed its lead to three points, 52-49, after a lay-up by Miceli 1:50 into the fourth quarter.  Houghton answered with a 10-1 run in a span of 2:37 to take a six point lead, 59-53, with 5:33 to go in the game.  UC decreased its deficit to two points with less than four minutes to go, but the Highlanders made two clutch 3-pointers at 2:19 and 1:10 from Leslie Moose and Brittany Lenart to pull away from the Pioneers and eventually earn the six point victory.

Elle Reed and Moose each recorded 15 points to pace the visitors.  Maisie Pipher added 13 points and 12 rebounds. 

Utica scored 23 points off of 22 Houghton turnovers on the night, but shot 25.3% from the floor (20-of-79) in the loss. 

Utica sophomore Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) added seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Rachel Hunter (West Islip, NY/West Islip) came off the bench, scoring five points and adding three rebounds.  Maggie Tabone (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) added a career-high nine rebounds for the Pioneers.