Elmira College (0-1) at University of Mount Union (1-0)
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 | 7:00 P.M. | McPherson Academic & Athletic Complex – Alliance, OH
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira College vs. Waynesburg University (0-1)/Case Western Reserve University (0-2)
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 | 3:00 or 5:00 P.M. | McPherson Academic & Athletic Complex – Alliance, OH
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's basketball team will continue its road swing to begin the season this weekend when it heads to Ohio for the two-day M-Club Classic, hosted by the University of Mount Union. The Soaring Eagles will open the event against the tournament hosts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 20^th. Elmira will then face either Waynesburg University or Case Western Reserve University the following day depending on the results from Day One. The third-place game will be held at 3:00 p.m., while the championship matchup is slated for 5:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Elmira women opened the 2015-16 season this past Friday, November 13^th, when they hit the road to face the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Elmira got off to a fast start to take an early lead in the opening quarter; however, the Panthers went on a big run down the stretch to pull ahead. It would be a lead they would not relinquish, as Pitt-Bradford bested the Soaring Eagles on opening night for the second straight season in a 77-64 final.
 
First Meetings
Elmira does not have much history between the three other teams at this weekend's tournament. The Soaring Eagles matchup against Mount Union will be the first meeting between the two programs. EC has also never faced Waynesburg before; however, Elmira has faced Case Western Reserve once before. The meeting with the Spartans came during the third-place game at the Carnegie Mellon Tournament during the 2011-12 season, with Elmira falling by a final score of 66-46.
 
Cleary Picks Up Where She Left Off
Second-year guard Danielle Cleary '18 got off to a strong start to her 2015-16 campaign last Friday at Pitt-Bradford. She registered the lone double-double for the Soaring Eagles, tallying 13 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Cleary is already halfway to equaling her total from last season, as she posted two double-doubles during her Empire 8 Rookie of the Year run in 2014-15.
 
Green Makes an Impact
Transfer, Emily Green '18, came out firing in her Elmira debut against the Panthers. She went 5-of-10 from the field, pouring in 11 points, while also adding five boards. Her contributions will be critical in helping the Soaring Eagles achieve more balance to their lineup.
 
Heaton Posts Solid Collegiate Debut
First-year point guard Lindsey Heaton '19 had a solid showing her collegiate debut against Pitt-Bradford. She was a constant presence on the court for the Soaring Eagles, leading the team with 35 minutes played in the contest. She finished with eight points, while she also collected four of the team's nine assists in the contest. The Panthers did attempt to apply pressure to the young guard, which resulted in seven turnovers; however, Heaton certainly has many positives to build on moving forward.
 
Scouting Mount Union
Mount Union has built a program which is an annual contender in the Ohio Athletic Conference and for NCAA Tournament berths. Although the squad is coming off a losing season in 2014-15, the Purple Raiders posted six consecutive winning campaigns prior to that, which included three straight OAC Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances from 2010-12. Mount Union opened the season this past Sunday, November 15^th, on the road at Kalamazoo College, besting the Hornets 76-49 to get off to a roaring start to the 2015-16 campaign. Annie Bova, a First Team All-OAC selection last season, led the squad with 21 points. Katie Reed is a strong compliment to Bova in the backcourt. She chipped in nine points and a team-high seven rebounds in the victory over Kalamazoo. Jaime Sanborn came off the bench and provided the Purple Raiders a strong presence in the post, finishing with eight points, five boards and two blocks in 11 minutes of action.
 
Scouting Waynesburg
Waynesburg has also been a consistently solid program over recent years, posting winning records in five consecutive seasons entering 2015-16. The Yellow Jackets got off to a difficult start to this season when they were stymied by Penn State-Behrend in their home opener on Tuesday evening. Waynesburg was held to just 32.3% shooting from the field, while it allowed Behrend to get to the free-throw line 39 times in the contest. Senior forward Heather Davis leads a strong interior game for the Yellow Jackets, as the senior posted a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Kassidy O'Keefe came off the bench to spell a backcourt that struggled to produce on opening night, going 4-of-8 from the field to chip in eight points.
 
Scouting Case Western Reserve
Case Western Reserve has traditionally been a solid program, but has fallen on tougher times recently, posting back-to-back losing seasons over the past two years. The Spartans have not fared much better during the early portions of the 2015-16 campaign, as they enter the weekend with a 0-2 mark after a pair of close road losses to Denison College and Baldwin Wallace University. Sophomore forward Kara Hageman has been a dominant presence down low for Case Western Reserve, leading the team in most statistical categories, averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and four steals per game. Junior Jessica McCoy and freshman Hillary Hellmann provide a nice combination in the backcourt. McCoy is averaging 12 points per game and is coming off a big 16-point performance against Baldwin Wallace. Hellmann has made an immediate impact in her first two collegiate games, pouring in double-digit points in each to average 11.5 on the year.
 
Up Next
The Elmira women will have a quick turnaround, as the team returns to Speidel Gymnasium for its home opener against Hilbert College on Tuesday, November 24^th. Opening tip is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in the first game of a doubleheader with the Elmira men also facing Hilbert in the nightcap.