Utica, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team will host Hartwick on Thursday and Elmira on Saturday, for some Empire 8 Conference action. Thursday's contest will begin at 8 p.m., while Saturday's game tips-off at 4 p.m.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers are coming off of a big win on the road against Stevens. UC defeated the Ducks 48-39, improving to 5-6 overall and 1-1 in E8 play.
Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) led the way with 13 points and nine rebounds, as Utica earned its first win over Stevens since 2012.
Ashley Mayo (Bronx, NY/Nanuet) scored 12 points, while
Briannah Florian (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) contributed 11 rebounds in the contest.
Impressive Finish: In UC's win over Stevens, the team closed the game out with a great defensive performance down the stretch. With 5:42 remaining in the game, the Ducks scored to cut Utica's lead down to just one point, with the score reading 40-39. This would be the last basket of the game for Stevens, as the Pioneers did not allow a single point the rest of the game. This impressive defensive effort helped seal the team's first Empire 8 victory of the season.
Statistical Leaders: Ashley Mayo (Bronx, NY/Nanuet) remains the leading scorer on the team and ranks seventh in the Empire 8 with an average of 14.2 points per game. Mayo is also second in the conference with a mark of 2.6 steals a game.
Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) leads the team and is sixth in the E8, averaging 3.5 assists per game.
Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah)'s 7.5 boards a game average, ranks seventh in the league.
Scouting Hartwick: The Hawks are off to a 2-9 start overall this season and are 1-1 against E8 opponents. The team recently just lost an overtime contest to Houghton, with a final score of 66-64. Carly Johnson led the team with 18, as Alexa DuBois scored 15 points (7-for-9 FG) to go with five rebounds. Mary Schoenherr tallied 12 points and six assists, while Kelly Pine also had 12 points. Johnson leads the team with an average of 17.4 points per game, which ranks second in the Empire 8. Schoenherr leads the conference in assists, averaging 4.8 per game.
Against Hartwick: The Pioneers lost both meetings with the Hawks last year and are looking to even the score. Hartwick won the first matchup last season, 62-52, behind Caitlin Corbett's 19 points (5-for-8 3-pt) and seven rebounds.
Ashley Mayo (Bronx, NY/Nanuet) scored 15 points to lead UC, while
Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) tallied eight points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and four steals in the loss. Utica lost the second contest against Hartwick, 64-47. Carly Johnson scored a game-high 21 points for the Hawks. Babb led Utica in scoring with 18 points, as Mayo finished with seven points and 10 rebounds.
Scouting Elmira: Elmira is currently on a four-game losing streak since conference play began, giving the team a record of 8-5 overall and 0-4 in E8 play. The team fell to Houghton in its last game, 62-48. Emily Green contributed 11 points and four assists, as teammate Sally Hogan finished with nine points and 12 boards. Elmira's top scorer, Daniella Cleary, ranks third in the Empire 8 with an average of 15.4 points per game. Rachel Vespucci is just shy of averaging a double-double, with per game marks of 10.7 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Against Elmira: UC defeated Elmira both times the two met up last year. The Pioneers earned a 65-51 win in game one of last season's series, behind Babb's 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists. In the second matchup the Soaring Eagles were defeated again, with the final score reading 56-44. Mayo notched a double-double, on 10 points and 10 boards, in the victory.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers return home for another Empire 8 contest against Sage, on January 16th. This game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
