Utica, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team will be on the road Tuesday, as it faces off against Oneonta. The Pioneers aim to win their third straight to start the year, as the game is set to tip-off at 6 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: UC improved to 2-0 after defeating Wells College at home. The team did not allow Wells to have the lead at any time during its 63-49 victory. Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Briannah Florian (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) added 10 points of her own. Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) scored nine points and tallied six assists. It was a total team effort, as the Pioneers had 10 different players contribute at least two points.
 
Tripp's Big Game: In Utica's win over Wells College, Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) had a career day. She recorded career-highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds, tallying a double-double. Tripp shot a solid 9-for-14 from the field in the contest, and made one steal on defense. She demonstrated strong ball security throughout the game, playing 24 minutes without committing a single turnover. Tripp will look to build off of this momentum heading into Tuesday's meeting with Oneonta.
 
Forcing Turnovers: The Pioneers have played a smothering, full court pressure defense in the early goings of the season. This fast-paced style of play has been running opposing teams out of the gym. UC has forced its opponents to turn the ball over 51 times, in just two games played so far. Defense is leading to easy offense for the Pioneers as they have scored 42 points off of turnovers, which counts for over 30% of the team's scoring. Utica's pressure defense looks like a force to be reckoned with early on in the year.
 
Stopping Penetration: Outside of forcing turnovers and wreaking havoc with its full court defense, UC has also played strong defense in the half court. A crucial element to the team's defensive success is not allowing dribble penetration and keeping the ball out of the paint. This has forced opposing teams to shoot contested jump shots from the perimeter, resulting in an opponent's field goal percentage of 35.5%. The Pioneers refusing to allow easy lanes to the basket has made teams shoot a high volume of 3-point shots, as opposing teams have only shot 25% from 3-point territory. Look for this UC defense to continue having a heavy impact on the game moving forward.
 
Scouting Oneonta: The Red Dragons from Oneonta have started the season with a record of 2-0. The team defeated Wellesley College, 58-55, in overtime to start the season, before taking down Vassar by a score of 75-59. Madeline Frank is averaging a double-double so far this year, with per game numbers of 10 points and 14 rebounds. Leanne Corso is currently averaging 15.5 points and seven boards per game, after scoring 18 points (7-for-11 FG, 4-for-7 3pt) in the win against Vassar. Last year UC fell to Oneonta, 47-44, with Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) recording a stat line of 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals. The Pioneers have not defeated the Red Dragons since the 2009-10 season.
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers return to action on November 27th, for an away meeting with Hamilton College. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.