Elmira College (3-5) vs. Rochester Institute of Technology (6-1)
Wednesday, December 30, 2015 | 3:00 P.M. | Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's basketball team is set to wrap up the 2015 portion of its schedule when it welcomes Rochester Institute of Technology for Elmira's final home contest of the calendar year. Opening tip between the Tigers and Soaring Eagles is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 30th.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira bounced back from a difficult showing against SUNY Cortland in a midweek game to get back in the win column with a 61-53 victory over SUNY Potsdam over the weekend. Although the Soaring Eagles struggled to contend with the full-court press employed by the Bears, turning the ball over 26 times in the contest, Elmira turned in one of its finest defensive performances of the year to limit Potsdam to 53 points. Danielle Cleary '18 continued to pace the Elmira offense, narrowly missing the double-double with 25 points and nine rebounds. Meghan Loya '16 added her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 boards.
 
Cleary Keeps Producing
The beat goes on for second-year guard Danielle Cleary '18, who continues to be a force for the Soaring Eagles during her sophomore campaign. She once again powered Elmira's offense in the team's victory over Potsdam last time out. She poured in 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 shooting from the charity stripe. She narrowly missed out on securing her fourth double-double of the season, as she also pulled down nine rebounds. Cleary has been nothing short of remarkable this year, leading the team in scoring in all eight of Elmira's contests to-date. She continues to top the Empire 8 Conference in scoring, averaging 20.8 points per game, which ranks 21st in the nation. She also has attacked the glass with a vengeance this season, ranking second on the team and fourth in the conference at 9.1 rebounds per game.
 
Loya Doubles Up
While Elmira's scoring punch has primarily come from the backcourt this season, Meghan Loya '16 has quietly put together a solid start in the low post. She put together her finest outing of the season against Potsdam, posting her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The scoring was much needed for an Elmira team that has looked for more balance between the backcourt and the frontcourt. The double-double was just the third of her collegiate career, while it was the third time this season she has produced double-digit rebounds in a game. She ranks fifth in the Empire 8 Conference at 8.9 rebounds per game.
 
Solving the Press
One theme we have seen in recent games has been opponent's propensity to defend the Soaring Eagles with the press. Elmira has shown some struggles against the press in recent games, coughing up 20-plus turnovers in three of the last four contests against Clarkson, SUNY Cortland, and SUNY Potsdam. The Soaring Eagles had a particularly tough time against the Bears with 26 turnovers; however, the team was able to overcome the mistakes to notch its second victory over the last three games. Elmira will need to solve their issues with the press if it hopes to continue its turnaround.

All-Time Series
Elmira has enjoyed great success against RIT in the overall series. The Soaring Eagles are 29-10 against the Tigers all-time, which includes a 17-6 record since 2000. Elmira has not met RIT since the 2010-11 season, when the Tigers were still a member of the Empire 8 Conference. The teams split the season series with each team earning a lopsided victory on their respective home courts.
 
Scouting Rochester Institute of Technology
The Tigers have jumped out to a fast start out of the gates in 2015-16, entering the matchup with a 6-1 record through the opening month of the season. RIT is riding a three-game winning streak, following its lone loss, a 58-56 nail biter to SUNY Geneseo on December 1st in the opening round of the Wendy's College Classic. The Tigers rallied for close victories over Nazareth College and The College of Brockport to close out the tournament. The team is coming off of its best offensive effort of the season in a 97-74 home victory over Buffalo State on December 11th. Overall, RIT is averaging 72.1 points per game, while it is allowing just 61.9 points per contest. Sophomore swing-player Jessica Glaz paces the offense at 17.4 points per game. The frontcourt is quite strong as freshman Tara Lynch and sophomore Amanda Olsen have combined to make a formidable duo down low. Lynch is averaging 15.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while Olsen has chipped in 11.2 points and 6.8 boards per contest. All three players put up huge performances in the victory over Buffalo State, scoring 24, 21, and 19 points, respectively.

Looking Ahead
The Soaring Eagles return to action in the New Year when they welcome Stevens Institute of Technology to Speidel Gymnasium in the doubleheader to open Empire 8 Conference play on Monday, January 4th.