ELMIRA, N.Y. -- A pair of first-year guards have earned Elmira College Athlete of the Week for their standout performances against Empire 8 Conference foes, as Lauren Franklin '20 of the women's basketball team and Alex Ischiropoulos '20 of the men's basketball team each received the honor for the week ending January 22nd.

Franklin was one of two Soaring Eagles to finish the week with a double-double average, while guiding the EC women to a 2-1 record inside league play. She averaged 11.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest, in addition to a team-best eight steals and five assists.

The rookie from Binghamton, New York, posted seven points, nine boards and a trio of assists in a 65-62 win at Houghton College on January 17th. Although her seven points were the fewest she netted in a game last week, the 5-foot-8-inch guard deposited the go-ahead points late in the fourth quarter to help the Soaring Eagles complete the comeback.

Franklin had the best outing of her debut season in a 64-52 win at Alfred University on January 19th with her first career double-double. She recorded season highs across the board with 15 points, 13 rebounds, six field goal makes, and four steals in 39 minutes on the court. She capped off her week with a solid 13-point, nine-rebound performance at home against Ithaca College on January 21st.

Since being inserted into the starting lineup at the beginning of the month, Franklin has come into her own on the hardwood. Following back-to-back games with double-digit points, she sits fifth on the team with per game average of 6.3. She's also become a tremendous defensive presence, as she ranks sixth in the E8 with 2.1 steals per game and 14th with 6.8 rebounds per game.

Franklin will look to continue her recent run of success on Tuesday, January 24th, when the Soaring Eagles host Nazareth College in Empire 8 action at 6:00 p.m.

A fellow member of the Class of 2020, Ischiropoulos, had a career high game against Houghton on Tuesday and led Elmira in points in a home victory over Ithaca on Saturday. For the week, he paced EC with 13.7 points to go along with 2.3 boards, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

Although the Soaring Eagles were defeated at Houghton, 84-73, the Purple and Gold received a spirited second-half effort from Ischiropoulos. He almost single-handedly brought the team back from a looming deficit with six 3-pointers in the half, five of which came in the final 10 minutes of regulation. He netted 15-straight points for EC with his five treys and concluded the night with 21 overall, all from 3-point land, on a career-high seven makes from beyond the arc.

The Media, Pennsylvania, native was instrumental in the 66-63 win over the Bombers, Elmira's first E8 victory of the season, by collecting a team-high 17 points in 25 minutes off of the bench. His 3-point prowess was especially important, as he connected for a pair of treys late in the second half. The latter gave Elmira the lead for good at 58-57 with 3:21 remaining. With two-and-a-half minutes to play, he secured two key points with a jumper, which extended the late advantage to 62-59.

Ischiropoulos has developed into a reliable 3-point shooting option for the Soaring Eagles despite his rookie status. He's second on the team in both 3-point makes (27) and percentage (40.3), and has climbed to third with 8.7 points per game.

The Elmira men have their eyes on a second consecutive conference win when they face the Golden Flyers on Tuesday, January 24th, at 8:00 p.m.