Score: Clarkson University 67, Elmira College 55
Records: Clarkson (4-1), Elmira (1-4)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium -- Elmira, NY

Elmira, NY -- For the second straight game, Danielle Cleary '18 scored 29 points, the second-highest single-game point total of her career, but this time it was not enough as Elmira College fell to Clarkson University, 67-55, at Speidel Gymnasium Tuesday night.

After the Soaring Eagles took a 2-0 lead on a pair of free throws due to an administrative technical foul, the Golden Knights took the lead on a three-pointer from Devin Sorell, and they would never surrender the lead from there.

In both the first and second quarters, EC narrowed Clarkson's double-digit leads down to single points. The Purple and Gold closed the first quarter on an 8-1 run, highlighted by a Lindsey Heaton '19 trey, to cut a 10-point deficit down to three, 18-15.

Elmira then closed the second quarter on a 14-4 run to make it a four-point game at the intermission. Cleary scored eight straight points in that span, beginning with a foul shot with 2:44 remaining in the half.

She then flashed her defensive prowess on a highlight-reel effort after draining a three-pointer. Cleary guarded Sorell with press coverage on the ensuing in-bounds play, stripping the ball from the Clarkson guard and taking it the distance for a layup. Those two points trimmed Clarkson advantage to 33-29.

Another Cleary steal in the final seconds of the first half led to a bucket from Meghan Loya '16 to make it 35-31 Clarkson at the half.

After shooting a respectable 41.4 percent (12-for-29) from the field in the first half, though, the Elmira offense struggled in the remaining 20 minutes, shooting at a rate of only 24.1 percent (7-for-29).

Cleary completed an and-one early in the third quarter to cut the lead to a single point, 37-36, at the 7:26 mark. However, fouls called against the Soaring Eagles would allow the Golden Knights to slowly rebuild the lead; six of Clarkson's next eight points came from the line, pushing the lead back to seven points at 45-38.

Cleary countered with another three-pointer, but the Golden Knights carried a 10-2 run into the final quarter to pull ahead by 12.

The Soaring Eagles were unable to carve into the deficit in the fourth quarter. EC shot a mere 3-for-12 from the field and turned the ball over six times in the period.

Heaton finished second on the team with eight points and finished 2-for-4 from three-point land. Loya scored six points and pulled down eight boards, and Madison Carolus '18 added six points.

Turning Point
The closet Elmira came to surpassing the Golden Knights was in the third quarter. Following two points from Clarkson's Sorell to open the period, Jessica Brooks '16 scored on a layup and Cleary completed an unconventional three-point play, resulting in a one-point hole, 37-36. Fouls would be the difference from there, as EC was whistled for four infractions in less than a minute. Clarkson scored six straight points from the line to extend the lead back to seven points at 45-38.

Inside the Box

• Cleary led all scorers with 29 points.
• She added a team-high 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
• Cleary finished 8-for-9 from the foul line; the rest of the team was 4-for-8.
• Clarkson doubled EC in made free throws by converting 24 of its 38 attempts.
• Clarkson's starting five accounted for all of its points, and four of the starters scored double-digits.
• Sorell led the Golden Knights with 19 points.
• Ashley Loggins finished with a double-double on 13 points and 13 rebounds in addition to a game-high seven steals.
• Elmira was better from three-point range, going 5-for-18 while Clarkson was 1-for-9 from distance.

News and Notes

• Elmira's 55 points are the fewest in a game this season.
• The 29 points scored by Cleary are tied for the second-highest single-game total of her career, equaling her point total from last week's win over Hilbert.
• Cleary's streak of 20-plus points in four consecutive games is the longest since former All-American Jessica Zoltowski '14 did so in four games between November 23, 2013 through January 3, 2014.
• With another double-double, Cleary has a career-high three so far this season and five total in her career.
• Cleary's four steals tied her career high, while she has made three triples in three consecutive games.
• After winning eight in a row against Clarkson, Elmira is 0-2 against the Golden Knights over the last two seasons.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles hit the road for three straight games, beginning with a trip to Williamsport, PA, to take on Pennsylvania College of Technology on Thursday, December 3rd, at 6:00 p.m.