Score: Nazareth College 56 – Elmira College 49
Records: Nazareth (10-12, 6-7 E8), Elmira (6-16, 2-11 E8)
Location: Kidera Gymnasium – Rochester, N.Y.
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team's strong second half proved to be not enough, as the Soaring Eagles fell to Empire 8 Conference adversary Nazareth College, 56-49, on Thursday evening in Rochester, New York.
 
EC struggled to find its shot in the first half, finishing the stanza with a 23.8 field goal percentage on 5-of-21 shooting from the floor. The Golden Flyers, on the other hand, shot the ball well, wrapping up the half with a 48.1 field goal percentage on 13-of-27 shooting from the field.
 
Despite the difference in shooting, Elmira remained in contention, as the halftime deficit sat at just 12 points, 31-19. Danielle Cleary '18 and Rachel Vespucci '19 led the way for EC with strong first-half showings. Cleary paced all scorers with nine points and Vespucci finished right behind her with five points to go along with six boards.
 
Naz started the third quarter on a 6-0 run to go ahead by 18 points, 37-19, at the 6:58 mark. This margin did not deter the Soaring Eagles, however, as they answered with a 12-4 run of their own to cut the deficit to 10 points, 41-31, with 3:32 left in the third. The rush was fueled by the play of Cleary, who scored four of her seven third-quarter points in the stretch. The EC run put it back into contention in the fourth, as the margin sat at a manageable 46-37 going into the final quarter.
 
Facing just a nine-point hole, the Soaring Eagles knew that the contest was still within reach. Elmira started the fourth on an 8-2 surge, that drew the margin to a second-half low three points, 48-45, with a Cleary trey 3:43 into the quarter. The Golden Flyers answered, going on a 5-2 run of their own to retake a six-point advantage. A Lauren Franklin '20 jumper drew the deficit back to four points, 53-49, with 2:02 remaining. Unfortunately for EC, this was the closest that the spread would be for the rest of the game, as the Golden Flyers went 3-for-4 from the foul line in the final two minutes to put the matchup out of reach.
 
Turning Point
Facing a 31-19 hole at the start of the second half, Elmira had an uphill challenge to get back into the contest. This fact did not deter their spirit, as the Soaring Eagles went on to outscore the Golden Flyers, 30-25, in the stanza. EC battled back into contention by raising its field goal percentage by 15.5 percent (23.8-to-39.3) and by committing 10 fewer turnovers (16-to-6). Ultimately, it proved to not be enough, as the Golden Flyers did just enough to secure the E8 victory.
 
Inside the Box Score

• The Soaring Eagles had a difficulty shooting the ball in the contest, as they went 16-for-49 (32.7%) from the floor.
• On the other side of the court, Naz did not do much better, as it shot 18-for-46 (39.1%) from the field.
• Neither team shot well from distance, as Elmira finished 3-for-13 (23.1%) and Nazareth shot 4-for-17 (23.5%) from behind the 3-point arc.
• EC out-rebounded the Golden Flyers 36-33.
• Both programs finished tied with nine assists.
• The turnover battle also ended close, as Naz finished with one less than Elmira, 22-21.
• Cleary led all scorers with a game-high 21 points.
• Franklin almost posted a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.
• Lindsey Heaton '19 finished tied with Franklin for second on the team with nine points.
• Vespucci continued her dominance of the glass with a game-high 11 boards to go along with seven points.
• Samantha Peebles paced the Golden Flyers with a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds.

 
News and Notes

• With the loss, Elmira's record falls to 6-16 overall and 2-11 in conference.
• With the win, the Golden Flyers widen their advantage in the all-time series to 42-20.
• Naz extended its win streak against EC to six-straight games.
• Tonight's game marks Cleary's eighth 20-point scoring output of the season.
• Franklin was just one point and two rebounds shy of posting the second double-double of her freshman season.
• With 11 rebounds, Vespucci has grabbed at least 10 boards 14 times this season. 

 
Up Next
Elmira has a 6:00 p.m. showdown against E8 rival Alfred University on Tuesday, February 14th. The matchup between the Soaring Eagles and the Saxons will serve as EC's home finale for the 2016-17 campaign.