Elmira College (1-4) at Penn College of Technology (0-1)
Thursday, December 3, 2015 | 6:00 P.M. | Bardo Gymnasium – Williamsport, PA
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- Coming off a hard-fought effort in a loss to Clarkson University on Tuesday night, the Elmira College women's basketball team will face a quick turnaround when it travels to Williamsport, PA, to take on the Penn College of Technology on Thursday evening. Opening tip at Bardo Gymnasium is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira concluded its brief two-game home stand when it welcomed Clarkson University for a showdown at Speidel Gymnasium on Tuesday evening. The Soaring Eagles struggled to contend with the Golden Knights' three-quarter court press and high half-court trap through portions of the game, but showed excellent resiliency to battle back from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter to get within four at the halftime break. Unfortunately, Elmira cooled from the field in the final 20 minutes, going just 7-of-29 from the field in the third and fourth quarters to allow Clarkson to pull away for the 67-55 win. Danielle Cleary '18 continued to run riot on opposing defenses, capping off her third double-double effort of the year by tying her season-high with 29 points and adding 10 rebounds. Meghan Loya '16 also produced a productive game in the post, finishing with six points and eight boards in 38 minutes of action.
 
Cleary Continues Strong Start
The reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year has not suffered in the slightest from the proverbial sophomore slump. On the contrary, Cleary has taken her game to another level through the early stretch of this season. She is coming off a big double-double performance in the loss to Clarkson on Tuesday, scoring 29 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. It was her third double-double of the season, already surpassing her total of two from her debut season. The second-year guard has now tallied 20-plus points in four consecutive games, which includes back-to-back 29-point performances in her last two contests. She is averaging 22.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, on pace to set the program record for highest points per game average in a season.
 
Growing Pains
Elmira's talented rookie point guard Lindsey Heaton '19 has gotten off to a solid start to her collegiate career through the first few weeks of the season. She ranks second on the team with 11.0 points per game, while she far-and-away leads the team and ranks third in the Empire 8 Conference averaging 3.6 assists per game. As is the case with young players, you often times have to take the good with the bad. In her latest game against Clarkson, Heaton continued to expand her range in the offensive zone, equaling a season-high with two three-pointers, as part of her eight points on the night. However, she also equaled a season-high with seven turnovers, struggling to contend with the Golden Knights aggressive trap at times. She will look to continue to grow from these experiences moving forward.
 
Turnover Troubles
One area that has plagued Elmira for the majority of the fledgling season has been there frugalness with possession. The Soaring Eagles rank last in the Empire 8 in total turnovers, turnover margin, and assist-to-turnover ratio. EC is averaging 23.0 turnovers per contest, which has given opponents a litany of extra possessions. Elmira is averaging over 25 turnovers in its four losses this season, while it only turned the ball over 14 times in its lone win over Hilbert College. The Soaring Eagles will need to be more prudent with the ball if they hope to get in the win column with more consistency moving forward this season.
 
Getting Balanced
While the Soaring Eagles have gotten strong contributions from its backcourt, they have struggled to identify ways to get the post more involved in the offense this season. Meghan Loya '16 has gotten off a steady start, averaging 6.8 points per game, while she ranks second on the team and third in the Empire 8 in rebounding at 9.4 per contest. However, contributions have been minimal from Elmira's other low post options. The team certainly has missed Karli Pochkar '16, who is still working her way back from injury.
 
All-Time Series
Elmira has dominated the all-time series against Penn College winning all nine previous matchups between the two programs. The Soaring Eagles first met the Wildcats during the 2005-06 season, with the EC scoring a lopsided 84-32 victory at Speidel Gymnasium. The teams have met every season dating back to 2008-09 with Elmira securing three victories both at home and on the road. The Purple and Gold are 3-0 all-time at Bardo Gymnasium, winning by an average margin of 30.3 points.
 
Scouting Penn College of Technology
The Wildcats enter the 2015-16 campaign, coming off a solid showing a year ago, which saw the team post a 13-12 record and a 12-8 mark in North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) play. This year's team returns relatively intact; however, it is not a deep squad with only three players available off the bench. The inside-outside combo of senior forward Jamie Steer and junior guard Alicia Ross will power Penn College on both ends of the floor. Ross led the team in scoring last season, averaging 17.5 points per game, while Steer was right behind her at 16.6 per contest. Both players were selected United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Second Team All-Americans at the conclusion of the season. The Wildcats got off to a rocky start to the new season in the lone game they have played thus far. Penn College fell to crosstown rival Lycoming College in its season opener 69-50. Steer paced the squad, notching a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Ross chipped in a little bit of everything with 11 points, seven boards, four assists, two blocks, and two steals.
 
Looking Ahead
The Elmira women return to action on Wednesday, December 9^th, when they continue their road swing at SUNY Cortland. Opening tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., as the contest will be the opening game of a doubleheader, with the Elmira men also taking on the Red Dragons at 7:30 p.m.