Score: Pitt-Bradford 77, Elmira College 64
Records: Pitt-Bradford (1-0), Elmira (0-1)
Location: KOA Arena – Bradford, PA

Bradford, PA -- The Elmira College women's basketball team suffered a 77-64 loss on the road against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford to open the 2015-16 season.

Although the Soaring Eagles finished the game with a better field goal percentage, 38.3-to-35.2, and out-rebounded the Panthers, 57-to-30, it was EC's 35 turnovers that ultimately doomed the Purple and Gold. As a result, the Panthers scored 30 of their 77 points off of turnovers.

Reigning Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year Danielle Cleary '18 led EC with 13 points and added 10 rebounds for her third career double-double. Sophomore transfer Emily Green '18 scored 11 points in her Elmira debut. Meghan Loya '16 finished with a game-high 13 rebounds for the Soaring Eagles.

EC held two one-point leads in the closing minutes of the first quarter before Pitt-Bradford putted ahead by double-digits. A layup from Lindsey Heaton '19 with 3:05 left in the opening period put the Soaring Eagles up, 8-7, and 41 seconds later, Heaton sunk another layup to make it 10-9.

From there, Pitt-Bradford went on a 10-1 run, capped off by a Darien Lentz three-pointer at 8:17 in the second quarter, giving the Panthers a 19-10 lead.

The Soaring Eagles scored the next six points on a jumper from Madison Carolus '18, two free throws from Loya and a layup from Green to bring EC within three, 19-16.

That is the closest EC would come to the lead throughout the remainder of the contest. Pitt-Bradford held a nine-point advantage at the half, 32-23, and scored the first seven points of the third quarter to jump ahead by 16. The Panthers outscored Elmira, 29-20, in the third quarter and took their largest lead with 56 seconds remaining in the period at 61-42.

Elmira battled back in the final period to reduce the deficit to single digits. Down by 17 with five-and-a-half left in regulation, EC went on a 7-1 run to cut the Pitt-Bradford lead to 66-56. Heaton sparked the run with a layup, followed by baskets from Green, Cleary and Makinsey Carolus '18. Marissa Silverman '17 completed the unconventional three-point play to bring the Soaring Eagles within seven, 68-61, with 1:41 remaining. The Panthers converted nine of their 10 free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Turning Point
Already ahead by nine points at the half, Pitt-Bradford opened the third period on a 16-7 run to pull ahead by 18 points midway through the quarter. The Soaring Eagles slowly chipped away at the deficit over the next few minutes, and Green converted her and-one opportunity to make it 48-35 with 3:40 left in the third quarter. However, the Panthers ended the frame on a 13-8 run to take their largest lead of the night, 61-42, with 56 second remaining in the quarter, a lead that would prove to be too large for the Soaring Eagles to overcome despite a valiant fourth-quarter effort.

Inside the Box

• Clearly completed the double-double with a team-high 13 points and 10 rebounds.
• Green led EC with five made field goals and finished with 11 points.
• Madison Carolus converted all four of her field goals and scored nine points.
• Loya led all players with a game-high 13 rebounds.
• Elmira was only 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.
• The Soaring Eagles dominated the glass, out-rebounding Pitt-Bradford 57-to-30.
• Pitt-Bradford received a game-high 30 points from Rinfrette off 11-for-21 shooting.
• The Panthers had four double-digit scorers.

News and Notes

• Elmira is now 2-4 all-time vs. Pitt-Bradford.
• EC is 3-7 in season-openers over the last 10 seasons.
• Cleary's double-double was the third of her career.
• The 11-point performance from Green tied her career high, which she set as a freshman at Francis Marion University.
• Madison Carolus' nine points are the second-highest total of her career.
• Heaton earned the start at point guard in the first game of her collegiate career.
• Saturday's game marked the sixth with 50-plus rebounds for EC since the start of the 2009-10 season.

Up Next
Elmira College will head to Alliance, OH, for the University of Mount Union's Purple Raider Shootout on Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21st. EC will battle the host Purple Raiders on the 20th at 7:00 p.m.