UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's basketball team returns from break Tuesday as it hosts Stevens Institute of Technology in its Empire 8 Conference opener. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.
FIRST HALF WRAP: The Pioneers are 2-7 after the first month of play… Utica picked up wins over SUNY Potsdam (67-52) and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (66-52)… UC has four losses this season by just 10 points or less.
LEADING THE WAY: Juniors
Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) and
Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) lead the team with an average of 12.9 points per game and 12.2 points per game, respectively… Babb is second in the conference in both assists per game (3.9) and steals per game (2.9)… Babb is the active leader with 508 career points to go along with her 123 assists and 123 steals... Mayo has a team-best eight three-pointers and she has also sunk 26-of-43 free throws… She needs just four more points to reach 500 for her career… Babb and Mayo each have one double-double on the year.
HELPING OUT: Sophomore
Rachel Hunter (West Islip, NY/West Islip) is third on the squad with an average of 9.3 points per game… She has also chipped in with 3.6 rebounds per game and she leads the team with a .762 free throw percentage (16-for-21)… Junior
Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) has appeared in all nine games, while starting eight... She is averaging 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
STEPPING UP: Freshman
Nicolette Conkin (Los Altos, CA/Homestead) has totaled 30 points and eight steals while starting the last five games… In her second career start against Misericordia (12/3/16) Conkin scored a career high of 13 points... In the Pioneers' game against RPI (12/7/16) she tied her career-high of six rebounds and tallied a career-high of four steals in the game... On the season, Conkin is averaging 4.9 points and 1.4 assists per game, and she has also added six three-pointers.
SCOUTING STEVENS: The defending Empire 8 Conference champion Stevens Ducks are 1-6 to start the year… Stevens is coming off a split at the D3hoops.com Classic on Dec. 28 and 29… The Ducks defeated Wisconsin-Eau Claire 51-43 in the first game, before falling to Lewis & Clark College 58-49… Stevens is led by graduate student Kaitlyn Astel, who is averaging 14.9 points and 7.4 boards per game.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers remain at home Thursday as they host Hartwick College… Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.
