Complete Game Notes

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team welcomes Utica College to Speidel Gymnasium for an Empire 8 Conference bout on Saturday, January 14th. The contest between the Soaring Eagles and the Pioneers is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. 

VESPUCCI'S MONSTER GAME                                 

• Rachel Vespucci '19 recorded one of the best statistical games in recent memory for the Soaring Eagles in EC's loss to Stevens on Saturday, January 7th.
• Vespucci finished the contest with game highs in both points (20) and rebounds (18).
• After Saturday's performance, she is averaging a double-double on the season (12.1 ppg and 10.3 rpg). 
• She joins Jacqui Foreman of Hartwick College as the only two players in the conference to average a double-double. 
• Vespucci became the first Soaring Eagles to score 20 points and grab 18 rebounds in a game since former Empire 8 Player of the Year Jennifer Parker '06 did so in the 2003-04 season. 
• With eight offensive rebounds on Saturday, Vespucci also ranks first in the E8 and climbed to 19th in the nation with an average of 4.9 offensive rebounds per game.

FRIENDLY CONFINES OF SPEIDEL                   

• EC has played much better at home than on the road to start the season, with wins in three of its first four home contests.
• The Soaring Eagles have struggled in road contests, as they are still searching for their first win away from Speidel Gymnasium. 
• The biggest evidence of Elmira's home dominance is shown in its scoring difference, as it averages 63.0 points per game at home and 51.6 points on the road. 
• Defensively, EC owns an  even bigger scoring differential, as it allows 51.8 points at home and 71.2 points on the road.
• Elmira also takes better care of the ball at home, as they average 18.25 turnovers in Speidel, while that number increases to 23.20 in road contests. 

UTICA AT A GLANCE

• The Pioneers enter today's matchup with a 3-9 overall record and are 1-2 in the conference.
• Utica's lone conference win came in its most recent matchup, a 69-55 victory over Alfred University on Tuesday, January 10th.
• Junior guard Ashelyne Babb has been Utica's all-around star on the season, as she paces the team in points (13.0), rebounds (6.4) and in assists with a league-leading 4.6 per game.
• Defensively, the 5-foot-5-inch guard also paces the team with a conference-leading 3.4 steals per game.
• Junior guard Ashley Mayo has been another staple on Utica, as she ranks second on the team in points (12.8) and assists (2.1) per game.
• As a team, the Pioneers have struggled to find their footing, with the second-worst scoring margin in the conference (-6.4).
• On the bright side, Utica ranks second in the Empire 8 in turnover margin, as it averages a conference-low 16.8 turnovers per game and causes 20.2 per game.
• Coincidentally, the Pioneers also rank second in the E8 in steals, with 11.58 per game.