ALFRED, NY - The Utica University women's basketball team cruised past Alfred State 77-33 on Monday night to start the season at 2-0.

It was a terrific night for the team on both sides of the ball as they were able to force turnovers and produce efficiently on offense. Utica forced 28 turnovers and turned those into 32 points which helped fuel the large lead. The Pioneers' rebounding was another key factor in the win as they outrebounded Alfred State 60-35 including 27 offensive rebounds compared to eight. Utica also finished with 36 more bench points, 20 more second chance points, and a whopping 48 points in the paint.

The Pioneers had four scorers in double-digits and were moving the ball well. Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Shalmont) dropped a career high 15 points on three of seven from beyond the arc to lead Utica. She was followed by Karlee Nims (Hartford, NY/Hartford) and Hannah Stack (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) with eleven points each and Kimberly Soirano with 10. Kristine Miller (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook), Stack, and Madelyn Cozzens (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) were all forces on the glass each totaling more than five rebounds while Petrina DeMarco (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) led the team in assists with four. An incredible seven Pioneers tallied at least one steal and six of them recorded at least two. DeMarco had three and Hope Halvarson (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) led the team with four steals in an impressive twelve minutes. 

The Pioneers grabbed momentum right away as the team led 9-2 just four minutes into the first quarter. The team played excellent defense and forced Alfred State into a whopping 13 turnovers in the first frame. Utica capitalized on these mishaps and scored consistently on fast breaks to help end the first up 24-7.

The second quarter was the closest of the match as Utica outscored Alfred State 19-14. Soriano had a fantastic quarter totaling five points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal and helped the Pioneer offense find its groove and keep its large lead heading into the half. Hannah Stack (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) was a force on the glass during the second frame and Kristine Miller (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) tallied two rebounds, two points, and an assist to aid Utica in taking a 43-21 edge into the half.

Utica began the second half shooting well and grabbing offensive rebounds. Burchhardt tallied eight points in the quarter including knocking down a pair of three pointers. Cozzens had an incredible quarter on the glass grabbing five rebounds and putting back a missed shot. Utica's ability to grab offensive rebounds helped the team allow just six points in the quarter and take a 61-27 lead into the final frame.

The Pioneer dominance continued as the team outscored Alfred State 16-6 in the fourth quarter and allowed just twelve points in the entire second half. Karlee Nims (Hartford, NY/Hartford) and Hannah Stack (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) led the scoring charge for Utica in the fourth quarter and combined for nine points. 

Utica (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will host its first home game on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. against SUNY Delhi.