Score: Elmira College 63, Utica College 49
Records: Elmira (13-9, 5-8 E8), Utica (8-15, 4-10 E8)
Location: Elmira, N.Y. -- Speidel Gymnasium

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team shook off a subpar first quarter and erased a 13-point deficit in the opening half en route to a 63-49 Empire 8 Conference win over Utica College at Speidel Gymnasium on Saturday.

As part of the team's annual Senior Day, the graduating members of the Class of 2018 – Danielle Cleary '18, Emily Green '18, and team manager Dallas Stagnitto '18 – were honored in a special pregame ceremony.

Utica had the upper hand on the Purple and Gold in the first quarter, as the Pioneers took charge and built a double-digit lead in the first 10 minutes of action. The Pioneers scored the game's first seven points, with the first three coming off of an Ashley Mayo and-one the last two on an Ashelynne Babb coast-to-coast steal and score. Utica piled on more points within the final minute of the frame on 3-pointers from Mayo and Jeslyn Files, the latter of which widened the gap to 20-9 before the end of the period.

In the first quarter, Elmira recorded a mere 23.5 field-goal percentage (4-of-17), while allowing Utica to make 50.0 percent (8-of-16) of its buckets. However, EC outscored the visitors in all three remaining quarters, in addition to shooting at a much-improved 47.6 percent (20-of-42) from the field in those periods. As the Elmira offense found its stroke, the Pioneers began losing their touch, as they managed to convert at a rate of just 20.4 percent (11-of-54) in the second, third and fourth quarters combined.

The Soaring Eagles went on a 17-2 run between the 2:16 mark of the second quarter and the 4:28 mark of the third, a span of 7:48 in which EC turned a 31-24 hole into a 41-33 advantage. Rachel Vespucci '19 deposited a layup 38 seconds into the second half to give Elmira its first lead of the afternoon, 32-31. A Lindsey Heaton '19 trey nearly two minutes later give the hosts the lead for good at 35-33. 

Cleary and Green opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the advantage to double-digits for the first time at 50-37, and the senior duo combined for a late 7-0 run that gave the Soaring Eagles their biggest lead of the night, 63-45, with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in regulation.

Cleary led all scorers with 16 points to go along with nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Green added 13 points with three boards, two assists and one block. Heaton and Vespucci also reached double-figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively, and Heaton amassed a game-high seven assists from her point guard position.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Shannon Howley on the slow first-quarter start…
"I think it's always tough at the start on Senior Day. There are a lot of emotions, but we settled in and began playing our game."

Coach Howley on the performance of seniors Danielle Cleary and Emily Green…
"I think they played a complete game. It was great to see. I was very happy for them and that we were able to get a win for them."

Coach Howley when asked about four of Elmira's five starters scoring in double-figures…
"I think whenever we get four people scoring like that it means we are moving the ball well and getting everyone involved. We played good offensive basketball today."

News and Notes

• Elmira improved to 13-9 overall and 5-8 against Empire 8 opponents this season.
• EC shot 47.1 percent (8-for-17) from behind the 3-point line, the team's highest clip of the season. 
• Cleary has scored double-digit points 17 times this season. 
• Cleary moved into second-place all-time in program history for career points with 1,472, surpassing Mary Kay Babcock '82 (1,457).
• Cleary's 51 3-point field goals in 2017-18 rank sixth on the EC single-season charts.
• Green moved into a two-way tie for ninth-place all-time in career 3-pointers with Maria Thannhauser '14 (92).
• Green has tallied double-digit points in nine of EC's last 10 contests. 
• Heaton has tallied double-digit points in four consecutive games and has recorded at least five assists in three of those bouts.
• Heaton's 101 assists are seventh among EC's single-season leaders, which marks her second season on the top-10 list.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will travel to Rochester, New York, to face the Cardinals of first-place St. John Fisher College on Tuesday, February 13, at 8:00 p.m.