Elmira, NY -- Maria Thannhauser '14 scored a season high 19 points to lead the Elmira College women's basketball team to an 81-55 non-conference win over visiting Cazenovia College.  Tonight's win improves the Soaring Eagles to 7-2 on the season, matching the program's best start since the 2006-07 season.  Also, tonight's 26 point win ups the Purple and Gold's win streak to six games, matching EC's most recent win streak, set during the 2007-08 season. 

Elmira had three players finish with double figures tonight with Thannhauser leading the way on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, leading all scorers with 19 points while also grabbing six rebounds.  Classmate Jessica Zoltowski '14 flirted with a triple-double tonight, recording 15 points, eight rebounds, and a career high seven assists.  Alex Balara '15 was the other Soaring Eagle in double figures as she chipped in 14 points and five assists. 

The Soaring Eagles never trailed in tonight's contest as they opened the game with an 8-0 run but the Wildcats were able to cut the Elmira lead to five points at the 6:33 mark, 25-20.  However, offensive efficiency and tenacious defense by the Purple and Gold sparked an 18-0 run over the next four and half minutes, giving EC a commanding 43-20 lead, which would eventually turn into a 47-26 halftime advantage. 

During Elmira's 18-0 run, Thannhauser carried the load by not missing a single shot, going 4-for-4 from the field as well as 4-for-4 from the charity stripe for a total of 13 points.  In total, Thannhauser scored 16 of Elmira's final 19 points of the first half.  Balara also added five points during the run while Liz Forrest '14 knocked down a free throw to make-up the final 19 points of the half.  

Elmira maintained their momentum in the second half, going up by as many as 31 points.  Cazenovia would cut the EC lead to 18 points at the 4:22 mark but that would be as close as the Wildcats would get as Elmira closed out the game with an 11-3 run, sealing the 81-55 victory.  

Credit a large part of today's victory to Elmira's ability to crash the boards as the Soaring Eagles outrebounded the Wildcats, 37-23.  Elmira's 14 rebound advantage is their largest margin since last year's nine point win over Alfred University and prior to that, the largest since the 2008-09 season. 

Elmira will be back in action this weekend as they hit the road for a pair of crucial Empire 8 Conference games against Utica College and Alfred University.  The Utica game is scheduled for Friday, January 10th at 8:00 p.m. while the Alfred game is slated for the following day at 4:00 p.m.