HAMBURG, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team fell to the reigning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) champion Hilbert in its season opener on Saturday afternoon, as the Hawks were able to sneak by the Soaring Eagles, 53-49.

Senior point guard Lindsey Heaton '19 paced the Purple and Gold's offense, finishing with a game-high 17 points in 37 minutes of action. Rachel Vespucci '19 finished one bucket shy of a double-double, posting eight points and 16 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive glass. Despite the standout performance from Heaton, the Purple and Gold couldn't keep up with the Hawks well-rounded attack, as Demi Batten, Katelyn Proy and Ashley Repine all finished in double figures for Hilbert.

The contest was a back-and-forth affair from the very beginning as the two sides traded blows throughout the opening quarter. Back-to-back jumpers from the Hawks pushed Hilbert ahead 9-7, but Lauren Franklin '20 knotted the score at 9-9 with 2:00 minutes left in the quarter. Battin added a three for the Hawks to make it 12-9 before Heaton rounded out the scoring for the quarter with a pull-up jumper that sent EC into the second quarter down 12-11.

The Hawks seized the momentum early in the second quarter, building a 23-17 lead with 3:17 left in the opening half. EC responded from the free throw line as Vespucci, Franklin, Bridget Yaw '20, and Heaton all earned trips to the charity stripe as the clock wound down. The Soaring Eagles knocked down 6-of-8 from the line over the final three minutes of the half to pull back within two at 25-23.

The back-and-forth continued into the third quarter as the Purple and Gold continued to search for consistent offense. After slipping behind 34-28, Heaton drilled a three-pointer to cut Hilbert's lead to 34-31. Hilbert buckled down defensively however, only allowing the Soaring Eagles to score one point over a 3:18 time-span. The Purple and Gold turned to Heaton again, who ended the drought with a basket at the 1:00 mark. However, Katelyn Proy knocked down a pair of free throws with six seconds left on the clock to make it a 42-34 game.

EC outscored the Hawks in the final quarter of play, 15-11, but it was too little, too late as the Purple and Gold were unable to overcome Hilbert's early advantage. The Soaring Eagles opened the quarter with back-to-back baskets from Alyssa Waters '22 and Yaw to cut Hilbert's lead to 42-38. After the Hawks jumped out to a slim 49-44 lead, Vespucci knocked down a pair from the charity stripe to pull EC back within three. The Soaring Eagles couldn't find the baskets they needed as time wound down, as Hilbert held on for the win.

News and Notes

• Waters earned her first career start against the Hawks.
• Heaton scored in double-figures for the 34th time in her career.
• Heaton shot a team-leading 6-for-16 (37.5%) from the floor.
• Vespucci's six made free throws are the most for the senior since she made six against Penn College last season (11/27/17).
• Yaw's seven points matched her season-high from last season, when she tallied seven against Clarks Summit (12/5/17).
• EC outscored the Hawks in the paint, 22-18.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles are back on the court on Monday, November 12, when they head to Buffalo, New York to challenge D'Youville. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.