Elmira College (2-5) at SUNY Potsdam (1-6)
Saturday, December 12, 2015 | 2:00 P.M. | Jerry Welsh Gymnasium – Potsdam, NY
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- Elmira College women's basketball will look to get back to its winning ways this Saturday, December 12th, when the Soaring Eagles take a weekend trip to the North Country to face SUNY Potsdam. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Potsdam's Jerry Welsh Gymnasium.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira suffered its largest defeat of the 2015-16 season on the road to SUNY Cortland last Wednesday, 76-37. It was just a two-point game after the first quarter, but the Red Dragons would go on to outscore Elmira 53-to-16 in the second and third quarters, leading to Cortland's 39-point win. Danielle Cleary '18 led the Soaring Eagles with team highs of nine points and seven rebounds.  
 
Season-High Blocks
One bright spot in Elmira's game against Cortland was EC's ability to block shots. As a team, the Soaring Eagles produced a season-high four blocks, two coming from Cleary. Post players Sally Hogan '19 and Ashley Heiman '16 had the other two blocks.
 
Leading the Pack
Despite a sub-par shooting performance against the Red Dragons, Cleary continues to lead the Empire 8 Conference in scoring. The Rochester, NY, native still boasts a conference-leading 20.1 points per game, making her the only player in the E8 averaging 20-or-more. Cleary is also tops in free throws made with 46 and is tied for second in minutes played, averaging 34.3 minutes per contest.
 
Series History
Saturday's matchup with the Bears will be just the second meeting between the two programs in the last 14 years. The last time these two squads met dates back to the 2014-15 season, when the Soaring Eagles cruised to a 62-47 victory at Speidel Gymnasium. Cleary led the charge in Elmira's 15-point win, as she scored a game-high 22 points.
 
Scouting SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Potsdam has seen its fair share of struggles through the early stages of the 2015-16 season. The Bears enter Saturday's contest with a 1-6 record, with their only win of the season coming against Alfred State, 54-44, in the opening round of the Kevin Fee Roos Classic. All seven games this year have been played on the road, as Saturday's contest will serve as Potsdam's home opener. Struggles on offense have been a theme for the Bears this season. Potsdam is averaging 42.1 points per game, eclipsing the 50-point mark just one time this season. On the flip side, Potsdam is giving up 65.1 points per contest for a scoring margin of -23.0 points per game. One area Potsdam has seen some success in has been the Bears' ability to come up with steals. Potsdam is averaging 13.4 steals per contest. Looking at things on an individual level, not one player is averaging double figures. Secret Clark looks to be Potsdam's biggest threat offensively, as the rookie from the Bronx leads the team with 9.3 points per game. Katie LaVoie and Breanne Sapp are Potsdam's top two rebounders with 5.3 and 5.0 boards per game, respectively. Also keep an eye on Janay Smith, who leads the Bears with 22 steals, which is tied for second-most in the SUNYAC.