Utica, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team is hosting Wells College on Saturday for some non-conference hoops action. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: The Pioneers defeated SUNY Potsdam in the first contest of the 2017-18 season, 66-49, giving them a record of 1-0 to start the year. Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) registered game-highs of 17 points and seven boards in the win. Ashley Mayo (Bronx, NY/Nanuet) went 2-for-2 from 3-point territory, finishing with 12 points and four rebounds. Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) was UC's third player to reach double-digits against the Bears, tallying totals of 11 points, five rebounds, and a team-high three steals.
 
Pressure Defense: Head Coach Michele Davis was very active with UC's substitutions against Potsdam, looking to get the most out of every possession on both sides of the ball. This tactic was very effective in getting the correct personnel on the court for the Pioneers' full court pressure defense. Utica's ball pressure and traps were constantly bearing down on the Potsdam ball handlers, forcing 23 turnovers in the contest. An active and stingy defensive performance kept the Bears' field goal percentage low at 35.2%, and led to 14 points off of turnovers for UC.
 
Controlling the Boards: The second part to UC's strong defensive performance was closing out each possession with a rebound. The Pioneers put forth solid effort in finding a body and boxing out every time a shot went up. Their efforts on the glass payed off on the stat sheet, as Utica out-rebounded Potsdam 49-32 in the contest. Six different players grabbed at least four rebounds for UC, demonstrating a full team effort in the rebounding battle.
 
Scouting Wells: After playing just one game so far, the Wells Express is sitting at a record of 0-1. The team lost its season opener at home, 72-32, against Nazareth. Shelby Medovich led the team in scoring with seven points, while teammate Kamarie Maturine led the team in rebounds with eight in the contest. Yanna Osokalo finished 2-for-6 from behind the 3-point arc, recording six points off the bench. As a team, Wells shot 25.6% from the floor and just 47.4% from the foul line.
 
Looking Ahead: After this weekend's game, the Pioneers head on a three game road trip. Their next matchup is with Oneonta on Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m.