CORTLAND, NY - The Utica University women's basketball team fell to the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons 82-44 in its final non-conference contest of the season on Tuesday. 
 
Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) and Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) tied for the team lead in points with 14 each. Hall did so on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor while Burchhardt went 5-for-12 while both players made two of their three three-point attempts. McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) notched nine points followed by Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) with four, Emma Simmons (Unadilla, NY/Sidney Central) with two and Jordan Carmosino (Ringwood, NJ/Lakeland Regional) with one. 
 
Hall led the team with five rebounds as well while her two assists matched McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) and Julia Rotando (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) for the team high. McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook), Geraci and Hanna Godkin (Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes) each had four rebounds as well. 
 
After a hot start by the Red Dragons where they held a 14-7 lead, the Pioneers began to chip away. Midway through the quarter, McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) got the ball rolling with a layup before Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) followed up with a three. Simmons later netted both of her free throw attempts while Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) cashed in a three to bring the score to 20-17 at the end of the frame. 
 
Following a Burchhardt bucket at the start of the second to cut the Utica deficit to one point, Cortland began to heat up. Over the final nine minutes of play in the half the Red Dragons outscored the Pioneers 26-10 thanks to a trio of three-pointers and some timely second chance points. The game entered halftime with Utica trailing 46-29. 
 
Hall (12), Simmons (nine) and Burchhardt (eight) were responsible for each of Utica's 29 points. Hall also had five rebounds and a pair of assists over the first 20 minutes of play. 
 
It was a slow start to the third, for both teams with only 10 combined points over the first 5:48. However, Cortland caught fire towards the end as the team netted three three-point shots to pull out to a 65-37 lead entering the final 10 minutes. Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) recorded four points for the team while Emma Simmons (Unadilla, NY/Sidney Central) and Hall had two points each. 
 
In the fourth, Burchhardt was responsible for six of the team's seven points with Jordan Carmosino (Ringwood, NJ/Lakeland Regional) recording the other from the free throw line. Cortland put up 17 points of its own to finish the non-league contest with an 82-44 victory. 
 
Utica (3-7, 0-1 Empire 8) will begin its full slate of Empire 8 games, starting with a home contest against the Russell Sage College Gators at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.