UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's basketball team looks to rebound Sunday as it hosts cross-town rival, SUNY Poly for a non-conference contest.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers fell to visiting SUNY Oneonta 47-44 on Thursday... Oneonta jumped out to a hot start in the second half, scoring 23 points in third quarter... Utica tried to rally in the fourth, outscoring Oneonta 18-10 but it was not enough as the Red Dragons held on for the three-point victory... UC was led by junior Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop), who recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds… Babb also led the team with five assists and five steals… Junior Amanda Henderson (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) finished with nine points on 3-of-8 shooting from behind the arc… Sophomore Rachel Hunter (West Islip, NY/West Islip) netted eight points and added five boards, while Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) had seven rebounds and five points… Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) finished with five points, five rebounds, and one steal.
 
FILLING THE STAT SHEET: Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) is currently averaging 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and 4.5 steals per game... Babb led the team with 68 steals last season, and she ranked second on the squad with 11.4 points per game.
 
DEFENSE: The Pioneers have held their opponents to just 49.5 points per game so far this season… UC has also averaged over 10 steals per game. 
 
SCOUTING SUNY POLY: Coming off of a conference championship and their first ever Division III tournament appearance last year, the Wildcats will be playing their first game of the season against UC... Last year, SUNY Poly finished with an overall record of 23-6 including a conference record of 17-1... Subsequently, they enter this season ranked No. 1 in the NEAC preseason poll… Wildcats senior leading scorer Stevie Ray will be returning after averaging 18 points and making the All-Conference second team last season.
 
AGAINST SUNY POLY: Utica has the advantage over the Wildcats in terms of head-to-head matchups after winning 10 of the last 13 games… Yet, in the last four years, the series is even at 2-2... Babb scored 16 points in last year's 72-65 loss to SUNY Poly… The last time Utica defeated the Wildcats was a 68-38 victory at home in 2014.
 
NEXT TIME OUT: Utica will return from action on Monday, Nov. 28 as it hosts Hamilton College… Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.