Score: Elmira College 68 – Alfred University 59
Records: Elmira (7-16, 3-11 E8), Alfred (3-21, 1-14 E8)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, N.Y.
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Rachel Vespucci '19 scored a career-high 25 points to pace the Elmira College women's basketball team in its 68-59 triumph over Alfred University on Tuesday night in its 2016-17 home finale. The Soaring Eagles' win tonight was their first Empire 8 Conference victory of the season at Speidel Gymnasium.

EC got off to a slow start in the contest, committing seven first-quarter turnovers. Elmira's ball control issues hindered its offensive attack, which resulted in the Soaring Eagles going into the second quarter down 16-14.

The Saxons added to their advantage at the start of the second, as they went on a 7-3 run to grow their lead to five points, 23-18. Despite facing this early adversity, the Soaring Eagles answered with a 12-2 push of their own that gave them a 30-25 lead with 1:40 remaining in the half. Lindsey Heaton '19 sent Elmira into the halftime break with a 33-27 advantage after she hit a 3-pointer with just 32 seconds left in the quarter.

Vespucci led the way for the Soaring Eagles, as she finished with a first-half-high 13 points. The Macedon, New York, native was critical in Elmira's late push, as her three-point play started the run at the 5:14 mark of the second.

Vespucci continued to control the matchup in the third quarter, as she scored Elmira's first seven points. Her two free throws 5:57 into the half expanded EC's lead to eight points, 45-37. Immediately following Vespucci shots from the charity stripe, the Saxons reeled off eight-straight points to knot the game up at 45-all. Alfred's Amanda Off's layup with 1:37 left in the quarter ended the run. A Vespucci free throw and a Danielle Cleary '18 layup on ensuing processions gave Elmira a 48-45 lead going into the final quarter.

Two Alfred free throws to start the fourth put the EC advantage at just one point, 48-47, with 8:30 remaining. This is when the matchup started to swing Elmira's way, as an Off technical foul gave the Soaring Eagles two shots and the ball. Emily Green '18 calmly walked to the charity stripe and sank both to give Elmira a 50-47 cushion. EC went on to score the next seven points to expand its lead to double-digits, 57-47, for the first time in the contest at the 6:59 mark of the fourth.

A Heaton trey with 3:15 remaining ended a 2:40 scoring drought for Elmira and all but sealed the contest in its favor, as EC's lead grew to 61-52 and would not sink below eight points for the remainder of the matchup. As they had done all night, the Soaring Eagles calmly hit their late free throws to seal the conference victory.

Turning Point
Just 1:30 into the final quarter, the Soaring Eagles owned a slim one-point advantage, 48-47, when Off was called for a technical foul. This call was critical, as it gave EC two free throws and procession of the ball. Green's freebies started a 9-0 rush by the Elmira that gave it a 57-47 lead, its first double-digit advantage of the game. Green's free throws were just two of the Soaring Eagles' 38 on the night. EC's 29 makes from the line gave it the cushion that it needed in the tightly contested matchup.

In Their Own Words...
Head Coach Shannon Howley on the performance of Rachel Vespucci…
"Rachel was aggressive and she attacked the rim. Her aggressiveness got her to the free throw line."
 
Coach Howley on EC's strong play on the defensive end of the court...
"We just wanted to stay in front and make them make jump shots. Off was a tough matchup, but we were able to limit the other players."
 
Coach Howley on Elmira's momentum going into tomorrow's rematch with St. John Fisher College...
"I think that our defense will have to be even better, particularly our help. They have a lot of size and we will need to communicate even more if we want to be successful."
 
Coach Howley on Elmira's ball movement in tonight's contest …
"I thought we moved the ball well, which resulted in assists on more than half of our shots. Overall, we played a really solid game, especially in the second half."

Inside the Box Score

• Both programs struggled shooting the ball in the contest, as Elmira finished 17-for-48 (35.4%) from the floor.
• Similarly, the Saxons finished the game shooting 24-for-70 (34.3%) from the field.
• Elmira bested Alfred from 3-point distance, as EC finished 5-for-16 (31.3%) from deep, while the Saxons went 1-13 (7.7%).
• The Soaring Eagles had ample opportunities from the charity stripe, as they finished 29-for-38 (76.3%) from the line.
• Conversely, Alfred finished just 10-13 (76.9%) from the stripe.
• The Saxons out-rebounded EC, 43-38.
• Alfred also finished with more assists than Elmira, 12-10.
• The Soaring Eagles struggled with ball control tonight, as they committed 29 turnovers, compared to the Saxons' 23.
• Vespucci paced Elmira with a game-high 25 points.
• Vespucci also finished just one board shy of a double-double with nine.
• Heaton ended the game as EC's second-leading scorer with 17 points.
• Green rounded out the Soaring Eagles' double-digit scorers with 12 points.
• Cleary finished the matchup just one point and one rebound shy over a double-double.
• Off paced all scorers with her game-high 26 points.

News and Notes

• Elmira improves its record to 7-16 overall and 3-11 in conference play.
• Tonight's win was EC's first E8 win of the season at Speidel Gymnasium.
• The Soaring Eagles extended their win streak over the Saxons to 10-straight games, which improves their all-time record against Alfred to 36-19.
• EC set new season highs in both free throw attempts (38) and makes (29).
• Alfred's 7.7 3-point field goal percentage is a season-low by an Elmira opponent.
• Vespucci's 25 points are a new career high for the sophomore forward.
• The last Soaring Eagle to reach 25 points was Cleary, when she scored 27 against Stevens Institute of Technology on February 3rd.
• Tonight's game was Vespucci's second 20-point outing of her career, the other being in her 20-point 18-rebound performance against Stevens on January 7th.
• With nine boards, Vespucci tied tie Katy Knox '85 for the seventh-most rebounds in a single-season in team history with 246. 
• Vespucci's 13 free throws makes are also a new career high, besting her previous best of nine against SUNY Cortland on December 1st.
• Heaton's 17 points tie a season-high mark that she has reached twice already this season.

 
Up Next
Elmira is back in action tomorrow, when the Soaring Eagles travel to Rochester, New York, to face St. John Fisher College. The contest between the two feathered foes is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.