UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's basketball team begins a busy week with three matches. The team will begin its week by traveling to face Nazareth College on Tuesday, January 10 at 5:30 p.m. Utica will return home to host Elmira College on Friday, January 13 at 5:30 p.m. and conclude its week hosting Alfred University on Saturday, January 14 at 2 p.m.
 
Follow Along: Nazareth will provide live video and/or stats through https://bit.ly/2MOZOjA. Those unable to attend either of the home games can tune in via https://bit.ly/2wtxUV5 for live video and/or stats.
 
Last Time Out: The Utica University women's basketball team fell to St. John Fisher University 76-41 on Tuesday night in Empire 8 Conference play. The Pioneers were very balanced in scoring, as Madelyn Cozzens (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), Karlee Nims (Hartford, NY/Hartford), and newcomer McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) all had six points. Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) posted five points with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Cristina Negron (Easthampton, MA/Williston Northampton) played valuable minutes off the bench and dished out three assists in just thirteen minutes of action. As a team, Utica forced sixteen turnovers. Geraci led the team with two steals, and Kimberly Soriano (Queens, NY/Monsignor McClancy Memorial), Kristine Miller (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook), Karlee Nims (Hartford, NY/Hartford), and Cristina Negron (Easthampton, MA/Williston Northampton) all had one. The Pioneer bench contributed 23 points and continues to provide depth.The Cardinals shot 41.9 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe and effectively forced the ball into the paint. Kaitlyn Walker finished with 18 points, and 15 rebounds, while Sidney Tomasso (13) and Presleigh Brunner (11) also finished in double figures.The first quarter saw both teams fighting for points with physical defense. The Cardinals jumped out to a 13-3 advantage as its bigs created room down low and opportunities for its shooters on the perimeter. The Cardinals took a 17-5 advantage into the second frame and were up 67-32 entering the final frame. The Pioneers tightened up and held Fisher to nine points in the fourth quarter resulting in a 76-41 Cardinal win.
 
Where We Stand: The Pioneers are currently tied for fifth in the Empire 8 standings with an overall record of 7-4 and 2-2 in conference play. Utica ranks second in the Empire 8 in scoring averaging 67.7 points per game and team field goal percentage shooting .394 percent. Rebounding continues to be a strong spot for Utica as the team averages 45.9 rebounds per game which ranks second in the conference. The Pioneers ability to spread the ball around has been phenomenal as the team averages 16.73 assists per game which is just .02 behind first in the Empire 8.
 
Spark Plug: Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) has been having a great season and provided a spark down low for the team with her inside scoring and ability to gather rebounds. The junior had a strong week as she scored five points, collected five rebounds, and dished out two assists against Fisher. The Rochester, NY native then had her best game of the season as she poured in 17 points with 10 rebounds, and three steals against Keuka. Geraci continues to provide a great inside scorer for the Pioneers and creates a plethora of second chance points for the team.
 
Savvy Veterans: Veterans Petrina DeMarco (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Kimberly Soriano (Queens, NY/Monsignor McClancy Memorial) have been great for Utica and leave their marks on every game. DeMarco is a prime facilitator and fills the stat sheet every outing. The Whitesboro, NY native averages 7.1 points per game paired with 4.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Soriano averages 9.2 points per game with 4.4 rebounds and has been lights out from beyond the arc shooting .368 percent with nearly sixty attempts. The dynamic duo leads Utica on the court and looks to continue to help the team collect victories down the stretch.
 
Bench Scoring: A large portion of Utica's success is due to the balanced scoring, especially from the bench. Off of the bench Hannah Stack (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) and Madelyn Cozzens (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) both pour in plenty of points as both average more than 7.3 points per game. Karlee Nims (Hartford, NY/Hartford) is also another viable piece off the bench and averages 4.7 points per game paired with 3.3 rebounds. Newcomer McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) has dropped 12 points in her two games and seems to be a key piece of the team's rotation. The bench has scored 20 or more points in four of the team's last five games and its deep rotation is a key piece of the team's success.
 
Scouting Naz: The Golden Flyers are 8-4 this season including a 4-1 record in Empire 8 play which has them in second place in the conference. Nazareth won its last match against Houghton on Saturday, January 7 56-43 to collect an Empire 8 victory. The team has a dynamic pair of scorers as Jadyn Abrams and Brielle Reidinger lead the team in scoring. Abrams averages 13.8 points per game which is tied for fourth in the Empire 8. Reidinger averages 12.2 points per game and 10.6 rebounds and is a force down low for the Golden Flyers. Nazareth has struggled from beyond the arc this season ranking ninth in the Empire 8 and the team looks to create most of its opportunities down low.
 
Elmira Outlook: The Soaring Eagles are 7-4 this season and sport a 3-2 record in Empire 8 play which has them in third place in the conference. Elmira won its last match against Hartwick on Saturday, January 7 44-31 and picked up its third Empire 8 victory of the season. The team is led by Desiree Roy who averages 12.5 points per game with 9.7 rebounds per game. Taylor Albrecht and Nevaeh Winston are other key players as both average 6.4 or more points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game, and have 17 or more steals this season. The Soaring Eagles have a very balanced shooting team as the team ranks third in the Empire 8 from beyond the arc. Olivia Aryes and Laura Bogota lead the team in three-point percentage as both are shooting more than .360 percent from beyond the arc with more than 20 attempts this season.
 
Alfred Preview: The Saxons are 8-4 this season and are 3-3 in Empire 8 competition which has the team in fourth place in the conference. Alfred beat Russell Sage in its last outing on January 7 and won 63-49. Alfred has very balanced scoring as there are six players who average 6.5 or more points per game. The trio of Leah Harkenrider, Gillian Flint, and Grace Rittenhouse all average more than 10.4 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game and are the key facets of the team. Rittenhouse and Allison O'Toole are the primary shooters from three-point range as both are shooting .323 percent or higher and have both hit at least 10 three pointers this season.

Up Next: After this week, Utica will head on the road for two games beginning against Houghton University on Friday, January 20.