ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team begins a season-long three-game homestand with an 8:00 p.m. tilt against Alfred University on Tuesday, January 16. The Empire 8 Conference clash will take place at Speidel Gymnasium.
LAST TIME OUT
Elmira suffered a 62-53 defeat at the hands of Utica College in Empire 8 Conference action on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers started the contest off strong, building a 10-point lead, 32-22, heading into the halftime break. The Soaring Eagles clawed their way back into contention in the fourth quarter, as they cut the deficit to just two points 55-53 with 2:16 remaining in the contest. This would be the closest that EC would get, however, as the Pioneers made their free throws down the stretch to secure the league win. For the second-straight game,
Emily Green '18 paced Elmira in scoring with 15 points.
Sally Hogan '19 rounded out the Purple and Gold's double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Lindsey Heaton '19 also had a solid day, as she posted eight points, six assists and a season-high-tying 10 rebounds.
REBOUNDING WITH THE BEST
It has been discussed many times this season, but it still rings true today that the Soaring Eagles are one of the better rebounding teams in the country. The Purple and Gold's league-leading defensive rebounds (31.0) and total rebounds per game (45.6) rank 29th and 32nd in all of Division III, respectively. Pacing this fantastic rebounding group is
Rachel Vespucci '19, who is second in the E8 in rebounds per game (9.3). Vespucci is not alone on the conference leaderboard, however, as
Lauren Franklin '20 (6.8 rpg),
Danielle Cleary '18 (6.3 rpg) and Hogan (6.2 rpg) also rank among the league's top-12 rebounders. EC has even received solid contributions on the glass by some unforeseen sources, as starting point guard Heaton has hauled in 10 rebounds twice already in 2017-18.
TALL ORDER
Hogan has been a critical component of Elmira's defense this season, a defense that paces the conference in point allowed per game (57.6). The 6-foot-3-inch forward is an imposing figure in the post and she has lived up to that presence with a team-leading 17 blocks this year. Hogan ranks fourth in the E8 in blocks per game (1.2), although she is separated from the top spot by just four-tenths of a block per game. She has recorded a block in a career-best five consecutive games, and has posted a pair of rejections in each of the team's last two games.
SEASON-LONG HOMESTAND
Today's contest marks the beginning of a season-long three-game homestand for the Purple and Gold. These games could not have come at a better time for Elmira either, as it has played at Speidel Gymnasium just three times this season, going 2-1 in those tilts. The whole team stands to benefit from playing in the Southern Tier, where the Purple and Gold's points-per-game average rises from 59.5 on the road to 70.0 at Speidel Gymnasium. Elmira also rebounds better at home, as its rebounds-per-game average at Speidel Gymnasium (48.3) is more than five boards higher than it is on the road.
SERIES HISTORY
Elmira and Alfred will square off for the 56th time today, with the Soaring Eagles owning a 36-19 lead over their long-time rival. The Purple and Gold enter today's bout as winners of 10 consecutive games against the Saxons, a streak that dates back to the 2012-13 season. EC won both games in the 2016-17 campaign, the latter being a 68-59 triumph at Speidel Gymnasium.
SCOUTING ALFRED
The Saxons enter today's tilt reeling after losing their last six contests. Alfred has struggled all season trying to win games, as its overall record sits at 2-11. The start of conference play has not brought any relief to the Saxons either, as they are 0-5 in E8 action, most recently falling to both Nazareth (81-65) and St. John Fisher (73-49) in a weekend trip to Rochester, New York, on Friday and Saturday. One aspect of Alfred's game in which it has done well this season is forcing turnovers. The Saxons rank second in the E8 in opponent turnovers per game (18.5) which coincides with their 8.8 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the conference. The duo of Jamie Wilcox and Katlyn Boland are at the forefront of this defensive success, as the former paces the team with 30 steals and the latter is not far behind with 27. In the E8, Wilcox (2.3 spg) is tied for the league lead in steals per game, while Boland (2.1 spg) is tied for fourth in that category. Wilcox, a sophomore from Forestville, New York, has also been Alfred's most effective offensive threat as well, as she leads the team in points per game (14.8), the third-highest average in the conference. The glue that keeps the Saxons' offense together is Boland, who paces the team in minutes played (34.4) and assists per game (3.5), which is tied for sixth in the league.
UP NEXT
The Purple and Gold will take a week off before returning to action on Tuesday, January 23, with a home bout against Nazareth. Tip-off for the league tilt is slated for 8:00 p.m. at Speidel Gymnasium.
