Elmira at Houghton College
Game Details	Tuesday, Jan. 9 | Houghton, N.Y. | 8:00 p.m.
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ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team is set to take on Houghton College in Empire 8 Conference action on Tuesday, January 9. Tip-off for the league bout is slated for 8:00 p.m. at the Highlanders' Nielsen Center.
 
LAST TIME OUT
A fourth-quarter rally by The Sage Colleges proved to be too much for the Soaring Eagles, as EC was handed a 63-54 E8 loss on Saturday afternoon in Albany, New York. Elmira's downfall in the bout was an almost four-minute scoreless stretch in the final period that allowed the Gators to take a 56-48 advantage that EC was unable to overcome. Danielle Cleary '18 paced all scorers with 20 points, her fourth 20-point outing of the year. Rachel Vespucci '19 was not far behind, as she finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, just shy of the fourth double-double of her junior campaign. Lindsey Heaton '19 tallied nine points to go along with a game-high seven assists.     
 
LIGHTS OUT FROM DEEP
Elmira has relied heavily on deep shots this season, as they rank third in the conference in attempted 3-pointers per game (17.8). Even with this heavy volume of treys, the Soaring Eagles remain one of the most efficient teams in the league from behind the arc, as they are also third in 3-point field-goal percentage (29.6). Cleary has been EC's best long-range shooter, as she is tied for first in the E8 in treys per game (2.5) and second among qualified player in 3-point field-goal percentage (33.0). In 12 games this year, the Rochester, New York, native has already made 30 treys, which is just 16 shy of her career high (46) set as a junior. Fellow sharpshooter Emily Green '18 has also done well from long range, as she ranks fifth in the league with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game.  
 
SCOUTING HOUGHTON
Following an up-and-down start to the season, Houghton's record has evened out at 6-6 overall. The Highlanders, who are 2-1 in E8 action, have had a wild start to conference play, as a 26-point win over Alfred and a six-point loss to the league-leading Ducks of Stevens preceded a thrilling 66-64 overtime victory over Hartwick in the Houghton's most recent contest on Saturday. The Highlanders and the Purple and Gold have used vastly different strategies to find success in the post this season, as Houghton allows opponents a conference-low 33.8 boards per game, while EC averages a league-leading 45.9 rebounds per game. This rebounding defense is due in large part to the Highlanders' shooting efficiency, as they pace the conference in field-goal percentage (39.8). Leading this effective attack has been freshman forward Hannah Cybart, who is shooting at a team-high 47.6 clip from the field. Another key contributor to the Houghton's offensive success has been senior guard Brittany Lenart (10.2 ppg), who is the lone member of the team to average double-digit points. Sophomore guard Cori Beck has been another standout this year, as she is fourth in the E8 in assists per game (3.9).  

SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday's tilt will mark the 26th meeting between the Soaring Eagles and the Highlanders, a series in which EC owns a 14-11 advantage over its conference foes. In the most recent battle between these two teams, Houghton earned a 65-44 victory at Speidel Gymnasium, which ended an eight-game win streak by Elmira in the series. The Purple and Gold bested the Highlanders in the first contest of last season's two-game set, walking away with a 65-62 triumph at the Nielsen Center.
 
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles conclude their three-game road trip on Saturday, January 13, with an E8 bout against Utica College. Tip-off at the Clark Gymnasium is slated for 4:00 p.m.