Score: SUNY Cortland 54, Elmira College 47
Records: Elmira (1-4), SUNY Cortland (1-1)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium -- Elmira, N.Y.

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- A strong defensive effort and solid performance on the boards was not enough for the Elmira College women's basketball team, as the Soaring Eagles dropped a 54-47 decision to the visiting Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland in non-league action on Tuesday evening.

Both teams struggled to find their rhythm from the floor, as EC shot 15-for-55 (27.3 percent) and Cortland went 20-for-69 (29.0 percent). The Red Dragons knocked down 3-of-23 (13.0%) from 3-point range, while the Soaring Eagles went 0-for-12 from distance.

Elmira won the rebound battle though, 48-46, but turnovers plagued the Purple and Gold. EC committed 25 turnovers that turned into 18 points for the Red Dragons. However, Elmira's free-throw shooting kept the Soaring Eagles in the contest with a 73.9-percent success rate on 17-of-23 shooting from the charity stripe.

While the score through the final three quarters was even, the Red Dragons were able to distance themselves in the opening period. The Soaring Eagles were held without a field goal for the first 9:40, with the team's only points coming off of free throws until Bridget Yaw '20 sunk a layup with 20 seconds remaining. Cortland netted eight of the first nine points of the game and finished the quarter with a 12-5 lead.

Trailing 23-17 at the halftime break, a quick start to the second half helped the Purple and Gold keep the lead within reach. Lauren Franklin '20 converted an and-one at the 7:43 mark to make the score 25-22 in favor of Cortland, and less than a minute later, Lindsey Heaton '19 cut the deficit to a single point with a layup of her own.

The Red Dragons responded by extending the gap to double-digits, leading by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter after a pair of Shannon McGuire foul shots. Down 44-33, Elmira scored eight unanswered points to once again make it a one-possession game. Sally Hogan '19 entered off of the bench during the rally and provided a spark in the paint, with four of her season-high eight points coming in a span of 1:36 midway through the fourth.

Another Hogan score with a little over two minutes to play had the Soaring Eagles back within two points, 48-46, and with one-and-a-half minutes to play, Franklin stepped to the foul line with a chance to tie the game for the first time. The junior forward made her first attempt but missed the second, and Cortland's ability to make its foul shots on the other end of the floor sealed the win for the Red Dragons.

News and Notes

• Elmira's two-game win streak against SUNY Cortland came to an end.
• The Soaring Eagles recorded season highs in free throw makes (17) and rebounds (48).
• EC out-rebounded its opponent for the second straight game and for the third time in 2018-19.
• Heaton scored double figures for the fifth consecutive game.
• Rachel Vespucci '19 reached double-digit points for the third time this season.
• Hogan's eight points are a single-game season-high.
• Alyssa Waters '22 had multiple steals for the fourth time in her rookie season.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will travel to Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, November 27, to face the Defenders of Clarks Summit University in non-conference action at 7:00 p.m.