ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team eyes its third consecutive Empire 8 Conference victory at Speidel Gymnasium on Thursday, January 25, when the Soaring Eagles welcome Hartwick College for an 8:00 p.m. showdown.
LAST TIME OUT
Elmira earned its second consecutive Empire 8 Conference win on Tuesday with a 66-62 defeat of Nazareth at Speidel Gymnasium. After three hard-fought quarters, the bout came down to the fourth, as the score sat deadlocked at 58-all with just 2:41 left in the contest. Following a brief run by the Golden Flyers that gave them a 62-58 advantage, EC answered by scoring the next four points to again knot the game up, this time at 62-62. This is where the score would sit until an
Emily Green '18 steal with seven seconds left and the subsequent layup by
Lauren Franklin '20 gave Elmira the lead for good. Green led all scorers on the evening with 19 points.
Lindsey Heaton '19 did a little bit of everything, as she finished the tilt with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
HEATON HEATING UP
One thing that became very clear after Tuesday's win is that Heaton is starting to hit her groove of late. In her last three games, the New Milford, Connecticut, native is averaging 11.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, all three of which rank first or second on the team in that stretch. Heaton's rebounding has been particularly impressive, as her rebounds-per-game average has risen from 4.3 to 5.2 in the past three contests. Another interesting part of her game is that she is limiting turnovers. Over EC's last three bouts, Heaton has committed just a combined seven turnovers. This all-around effectiveness from Elmira's main ball handler will definitely help the team as it continues its grueling stretch of conference games.
FRIENDLY CONFINES
Tuesday's victory confirmed the notion that the Soaring Eagles have played their best basketball this season at Speidel Gymnasium. In its five home tilts in 2017-18, Elmira is 4-1 overall, with both of its conference wins coming in the Southern Tier. This is due in large part to the fact that Elmira is a better shooting team at home. In Speidel Gymnasium, the Purple and Gold own a combined field-goal percentage of 38.2 (122-for-319), while on the road, Elmira has shot 28.4 percent (218-for-643) from the floor. The Soaring Eagles are also scoring more points (70.4-to-59.4) and hauling more rebounds (48.2-to-44.9) per game at home versus on the road.
COMING BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
After missing two games due to an injury, Franklin has come back very strong, especially in Elmira's last two games. The product of Binghamton, New York, is averaging 10.5 points and 11.5 rebounds over EC's last two wins. Just like Heaton, Franklin can do a little bit of everything, as she ranks in the top-two on the team in both rebounds (7.4) and assists (2.9) per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Elmira and Hartwick have met 60 times prior to today's battle, with the Hawks owning a 49-11 advantage in those previous encounters. After winning both tilts in last season's home-and-home series, Hartwick enters today's bout as winners of five straight over the Soaring Eagles. EC last bested the Hawks on January 16, 2015, when Elmira walked away with a 59-56 triumph in Oneonta, New York. The Purple and Gold's last home win in the series came in the 2007-08 campaign.
SCOUTING HARTWICK
With a 3-12 overall record thus far this season, the Hawks have struggled to find their way. Two of those three wins have come in E8 play, where Hartwick is 2-4 after losing its last three games at home against Stevens (66-58), St. John Fisher (62-54) and Nazareth (74-66) in the past two weeks. These struggles all start on the defensive end of the court, as the Hawks are second to last in the conference in both points allowed per game (67.6) and scoring margin (minus-9.9). Offensively, Hartwick has not fared much better, as it is tied for seventh in the league in scoring offense (57.7 ppg). Pacing the team offensively is junior guard Carly Johnson, who ranks second in the E8 in points per game (16.9). Johnson's main strength has been her lights-out shooting, as her league-leading 92.3 free-throw shooting percentage ranks third in all of Division III and her 40.0 field-goal percentage from 3-point range ranks 51st nationally. Freshman guard Mary Schoenherr has been another critical part of the Hawks' game plan this year, as she paces the team in both assists (4.6) and steals per game (1.9). Junior Caitlin Corbett leads the team in minutes played per game (37.3), as her three years of experience are vital to a team that has just two upperclassmen on its roster.
UP NEXT
The Purple and Gold hit the road on Saturday, January 27, for an E8 rematch against Alfred University at the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena in Alfred, New York. The Soaring Eagles and Saxons are scheduled to tip-off at 4:00 p.m.
