MIDDLETOWN, CT - The Utica University women's basketball team fell short in non-conference play to the Wesleyan University Cardinals by a score of 66-48 on Friday night.
Leading the way for the Pioneers was Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) who recorded 19 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3PT) and was a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line. McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) was the second leading Pioneer point getter with 10, adding three rebounds and two assists to her stat line on the night. Hayleigh Lagase (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) had herself a night, leading the Pioneers in boards with 10 and in assists with four.
The opening frame saw Utica fight to keep the pace with Wesleyan. Hanna Godkin (Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes) would get the Pioneers on the board with a jumper inside the paint, followed by a layup from Hall to tie the game at four a side. Despite strong defensive efforts, including a block and rebounds from Lagase, Pioneer turnovers would allow Wesleyan to pull ahead. Utica would respond with buckets from Emma Simmons (Unadilla, NY/Sidney Central) and Hall to close the gap, but Wesleyan's shooting would give them a seven point advantage going into the second stanza at 19-12.
The second quarter would see both sides struggle to maintain possession with neither team netting a point for nearly two minutes into the frame. Utica would finally break the silence with a layup from Lagase, cutting into the Cardinals lead. Natalie Cornell (Greenwood, NY/Jasper-Troupsburg) provided a spark off the bench with a fast-break layup, and Hall would chip in with free throws to keep the Pioneers in it. Utica would fight hard but struggles to match the rebounding efforts by the Cardinals, allowing Wesleyan to maintain a slim lead. Utica would go into the break only down by five at 29-24.
Coming out of the break, Hall would lead the charge for Utica, scoring on a layup and hitting key free throws to keep the game within Utica reach, Simmons added a layup, cutting into the deficit. However, Wesleyan's dominance on the boards and second-chance points would widen the gap despite Lagase's defensive efforts and a jumper from Godkin. At the end of the third the Pioneers would find themselves down 47-36 going into the final quarter.
The final frame would see Utica dig deep with Kelse McCaskill and Simmons scoring critical points to try and chip away at the Cardinal lead. Hall would continue to dominate on both ends of the floor, however turnovers and missed opportunities would prevent the Pioneers from mounting a comeback. Despite its resilience, Utica would be unable to bridge the gap and fall to the Cardinals 66-48.
Utica (2-5, 0-0 Empire 8) returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, December 7 by taking on the Rivier University Raiders. Tip off from Middletown, CT is set for 1pm.
