Box Score MIDDLETOWN, CT - The Utica University Women's Basketball team completed their third regular season tournament slate of the 2024-2025 season on Saturday in Connecticut, taking on New Hampshire side Rivier University at Silloway Gymnasium. The Pioneers were in search of another neutral court victory against the Raiders, making great strides towards that goal in the opening quarter as they went on a 22-9 run to begin the matchup. A slow second quarter from the orange and blue flipped the script though, as the Raiders eventually battled back using their newfound momentum and took Saturday's showdown by a 70-63 score.
 
Despite the outcome, the Pioneers still had a massive bright spot on the afternoon, as Utica's Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) was named to the All-Tournament Team. The reasoning behind Hall's All-Tournament Selection? Only the all-time Utica Women's Basketball single-game points record…
 
Hall's 35 points were the most ever scored by a women's basketball player in the orange and blue, and she got it done using a variety of different methods. Hall knocked down seven shots from the line, two from three, and 11 shots within the arc to break the thirty point threshold. The superstar Sophomore also managed to grab seven rebounds, leaving her just a few rebounds short of an insane 30-point double double.
 
Hannah Godkin registered as the Pioneers' second leading scorer with eight, while McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) also had a major impact with 10 rebounds and four assists.
 
Hayleigh Lagase (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) had a good showing as well, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
 
Utica fell to 2-6 with the loss, but will have a chance to fix their early season issues as they now enter winter break. The Pioneers' next contest is a January 2nd matchup against Cortland, the Pioneers' final test before beginning the Empire 8 Gauntlet.