Albany, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team fell to Sage on the road Tuesday, 75-67. The Pioneers drop to 8-13 overall and 4-8 in Empire 8 competition.
A 6-3 run in just 1:21 propelled UC to a 10-7 lead with 5:32 left in the first quarter. Back-to-back 3-point baskets from freshman
Kimberly Soriano (Queens, NY/Monsignor McClancey Memorial) to close out the period gave the team a 24-12 lead heading into the second. A 12-3 run in the first three minutes of the second quarter gave the Pioneers a 21-point lead. Sage would claw its way back into the game, cutting Utica's lead down to just eight points heading into the halftime break.
UC quickly pushed its lead back to double-digits, taking a 46-33 lead just 1:22 into the third quarter. The Gators then went on a 13-0 run to tie the game up at 46-46 with less than two minutes left until the fourth. Two quick baskets by
Briannah Florian (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) helped the team hold a two-point lead, going into the final period of play. Sage started the fourth quarter with a 12-0 run to seize a 60-50 lead with 5:50 remaining in the contest. The Pioneers fought to comeback but were unable to regain the lead as Sage secured the eight-point victory.
Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) led the team in scoring, finishing with 17 points, seven assists, and six steals.
Briannah Florian (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) and
Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) both recorded 14 points and five rebounds in the loss.
Kimberly Soriano (Queens, NY/Monsignor McClancey Memorial) poured in nine points off the bench, shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Sage was led by Gessica Patregnani's game-high 24 points, as she shot 5-for-5 from beyond the arc coming off the bench. Kaitlyn Bowman notched a double-double on 19 points and 14 boards. Emily Parslow finished with 20 points in the win. The Gators improve to 15-6 overall and are now 7-3 against Empire 8 opponents.
The Pioneers return to action on Thursday, as they travel to Hartwick. The game is set to tip-off at 8 p.m.
