UTICA, NY - The Utica College women's basketball team will continue its three-game homestand this week with a pair of non-conference outings. The Pioneers will host SUNY Oneonta at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16 before Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts makes the journey to Miga Court for a 2 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, November 20.
Follow Along: Fans can keep up with live video and/or live stats for both games through
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.
Last Time Out: UC handled the Alfred St. Pioneers 74-49 in its home opener on Saturday evening. Utica outscored Alfred St. in each quarter with the second quarter serving as the biggest blow in what was a 21-11 quarter in favor of UC. The Pioneers' defense also limited Alfred St. to under 30 percent shooting from the field and beyond the arc. Utica also had a rough night from three-point land however, the team made up for the long ball woes by scoring 44 points in the paint to Alfred's 28. UC also converted on steals by scoring 27 points off of turnovers.
Sydney Przygoda (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) led the team with 18 points and nine rebounds while
Julianna Beaulieu (Chicopee,MA/Chicopee Comprehensive) added 14 points and
Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) contributed 10.
Cora Sawyer (New London, CT/New London) was a thorn in the Pioneers' side, scoring eight points while grabbing eight rebounds to go with a team high six assists. The senior also forced two turnovers on defense to help the team start 2-0 for the fourth straight season.
Offenses Beware: The Pioneers' defense has been nothing short of spectacular through two games this season. Although still early in the year Utica leads the Empire 8 allowing just 43 points per game on 28 percent opponent field goal shooting. The team has also been far and away the best rebounding team in the E8 through two games, leading the conference with 65.5 total rebounds per game as well as with 28.5 offensive boards per game and 37 defensive rebounds per game.
Syd the Kid: Senior
Sydney Przygoda (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) finished one rebound shy of her second double-double of the season in the Pioneers' 74-49 win over Alfred St. on Saturday. Przygoda led the team with 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field while coming down with another team high nine rebounds. The senior also dished out three assists and made two steals on the defensive end. For the season, the Freehold native is averaging just over 18 points per game while shooting an unbelievable 72.2 percent from the field to go along with 10 rebounds per game.
The Facilitators: While Przygoda has been nothing short of lights-out over her first two games, the guard play of
Brigid Johndrow (Bristol, CT/St. Paul Catholic),
Petrina DeMarco (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and
Cora Sawyer (New London, CT/New London) has been consistent and efficient through the early goings of the season. The three of them have combined for nearly half of the team's total assists (17/35) while Sawyer and Johndrow are tied for the team lead with seven each. The trio have also combined for 7.6 points per game on 33.1 percent shooting as well as 6.5 rebounds per game and six steals per game.
All Gas, No Brakes: Sophomores
Julianna Beaulieu (Chicopee,MA/Chicopee Comprehensive) and
Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) have played vital roles for the Pioneers through their first two collegiate games. Beaulieu is second on the team and tied for eighth in the conference averaging 14 points per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point land. She's also recorded 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals over her two games where she's averaged 16.5 minutes per game. Geraci is fourth on the team averaging seven points per game including her 10 point outing on Saturday. The forward has also shot a very efficient 58.8 percent from the field through her two games.
Dragon Slayers: The SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons enter Tuesday 0-3 overall after losses to Skidmore, Hartwick and Hamilton to start its season. Through its three games, Oneonta has averaged 45.7 points per game on just 26 percent shooting while opponents have averaged 61 points per game. While offense has struggled the Red Dragons defense has been playing at a respectable level as the team has averaged just over eight steals per game while coming away with about 41 rebounds per game. Olivia Dobrovosky (9 PPG, 36.4 FG%, 4.7 RPG) and Molly Stephens (7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6 steals) have started each game this season while senior Megan Palmatier has not played since dropping 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the team's season opener on November 5.
About the Blazers: The MCLA Trailblazers are currently 0-3 and will play against Keene St. on Tuesday, November 16 before traveling to Utica on Saturday. MCLA has lost its three games by an average score of 79-37 while shooting 25.4 percent from the floor and 18.4 percent from three. The Trailblazers have also been outplayed mightily on the glass, currently holding a -32.3 rebound margin per game. They are also prone to turnovers as MCLA has given the ball up 18.7 times per game. Hannah Mazzeo leads the team with 13.3 points per game on 36.4 percent shooting as well as with 10.7 rebounds per game.
Up Next: After the homestand ends this week UC will travel to Cazenovia for an early 4 p.m. game on Tuesday, November 23.
