UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's basketball team is set to travel and clash SUNY Morrisville on Saturday, December 16 at noon.
 
Follow Along: Morrisville will provide live video here and live stats here.
 
Last Time Out: The team topped SUNY Delhi 57-38 last Wednesday night to collect a non-conference victory. It was a very balanced scoring night for the Pioneers as the team dropped at least 12 points in every quarter. Utica forced 25 Delhi turnovers which led to 33 points off turnovers and 22 fast break points for the squad. The Pioneers also shined defensively allowing just seven total points between the second and third quarters. Hope Halvarson (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) led the team with 12 points, five rebounds, one block, and four steals and was producing on both ends of the floor. Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) was the team's second leading scorer and pushed her double-digit scoring streak to eight while hauling in seven rebounds. Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) poured in six points with four rebounds and three steals with Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) hauling in a team-leading eight rebounds including an incredible six offensive boards. Jordan Carmosino (Ringwood, NJ/Lakeland Regional) was efficient, dropping seven points in seven minutes while shooting 2-for-3 from the field. Delhi began the match with a two-pointer, yet Utica would take over with a commanding 10-4 lead halfway through the first quarter. The Broncos tied the contest before taking a brief 14-12 advantage, yet the Pioneers used a 5-0 run fueled by a Hope Halvarson (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) and-one to end the first quarter up 17-14. Utica played a gritty second quarter outscoring Delhi 6-0 while not allowing the Broncos to score until just 3:49 left in the frame. The Pioneers were able to turn defense into quick offensive production with Julia Rotando (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) splashing a three-pointer at the 1:38 mark. Carmosino had four points in the last 44 seconds to aid Utica in taking a 33-17 edge into halftime. Delhi canned a three-pointer to begin the second half yet once again the Pioneers defense capitalized and turned defense into offense with an impressive 12-0 scoring run. Halvarson and Hall each were focal points of the run, each dropping at least four points during the stretch. Utica's strong quarter aided the team in holding a 45-21 advantage after three. Utica's defense continued to be lights out and did not allow a basket for nearly four minutes which guided the team into taking a 53-23 lead at the 6:05 mark. Delhi put together a small scoring run, yet the Pioneers were able to strike back with quick buckets and win the game 57-38.
 
Hope You Like Buckets: Hope Halvarson (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) shined against SUNY Delhi leading the team with 12 points on an efficient 4-for-6 from the field. The guard was also active on the glass hauling in five rebounds while also being active defensively with four steals and one block. Her defense aided the team in setting up fast break scoring opportunities all game and played a crucial role in the team's win.  
 
Give Hall the Ball: Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) continued her excellent freshman campaign against SUNY Delhi scoring 10 points with seven rebounds, one steal, and one block. Her four offensive rebounds led to multiple second chance scoring opportunities for Utica and played a major role in the team's win. The freshman has also extended her double-digit scoring streak to eight straight games to begin her Pioneer career and her 16.3 points per game continues to lead the Empire 8.
 
Gimme That: Utica has been pesky on defense this season and its 101 steals rank third in the conference with its 12.63 steals per game, ranking second in the Empire 8. McKenzie Simmons' (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) 21 steals rank third in the conference as she has been on fire swiping seven in her past two outings. Hope Halvarson's (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) 18 steals are tied for fifth in the conference and she has recorded four steals in three of her last five appearances. Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) and Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) are two more fine defenders with each totaling double digit steals this season and ranking top-25 in the conference.
 
Scouting the Mustangs: Morrisville is 4-8 this season and 2-2 thus far in NAC play. The team topped Eastern Nazarene College 75-69 in its last game on Saturday, December 9 and will clash with Elmira College on Friday, December 15 before hosting Utica on Saturday, December 16 at noon. The duo of Anyssia Ingersoll and Brooke Hammersley lead the way in scoring, each averaging over 11.2 points per game with Hammersley shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Hammersley is also the team's top rebounder averaging 6.9 per game while also leading the squad with 20 steals. Abbie Platt and Ingersoll are two more strong defenders each amassing more than 14 steals this season. Dezia Baker is the team's top facilitator with 46 this season with Hannah Bonczkowski leading the team with 21 made three pointers and stretching the floor. 

Up Next: The team will hit the road and battle SUNY Cortland on Tuesday, January 2 at 3 p.m.