Score: Hartwick College 86, Elmira College 52
Records: Elmira (4-9, 0-4 E8), Hartwick (13-3, 6-1 E8)
Location: Lambros Arena – Oneonta, N.Y.

ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's basketball team couldn't keep pace with the hot shooting of Hartwick on Friday evening, as the Empire 8  Conference-leading Hawks earned an 86-52 victory over the Purple and Gold.

EC battled Hartwick for the full 40 minutes, but the Hawks stellar shooting from the floor kept the Soaring Eagles at bay. The Hawks went 33-for-64 (51.6%) from the floor and added a 9-for-17 (52.9%) performance from beyond the arc. Elmira struggled to contain Hartwick's high-powered trio of Molly Kirby, Carly Johnson and Caitlin Corbett, who finished with 17, 16 and 15 points respectively. Lindsey Heaton '19 guided EC's offense with 14 points and three assists.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, and with the game tied at 8-8, Heaton drove to the basket and drew contact to earn a trip to the foul line. The senior calmly sank both shots to push EC ahead by two. However, Hartwick continued to find success shooting the ball to forge ahead. Alyssa Waters '22 was halted the Hawks barrage as time wound down with back-to-back baskets to keep Elmira within five heading into the second quarter. Hartwick kept its hot streak going to start the second as the Hawks opened the quarter with an 8-0 run. EC halted the run following a timeout, as Heaton caused a turnover before feeding Rachel Vespucci '19 for an easy lay-in. However, the Hawks responded through Corbett and Kirby, as Hartwick reclaimed a 43-24 edge heading into the halftime break.

The Purple and Gold's offense came alive in the third quarter, as EC scored a game-high 20 points to keep pace with Hartwick, which tallied 23. Heaton tallied six of her 14 points in the period, while fellow senior Makayla Krause '19 added all five of her points in the quarter. As both sides traded blows, Krause had the final say with a trey as time wound down. Despite the scoring outburst in the third quarter, Hartwick stifled the Soaring Eagles in the fourth quarter, as EC was only able to add eight points in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

News and Notes

• Waters finished with seven points and a team-high six rebounds.
• With two rebounds, Vespucci became the third player in program history to reach 700 career rebounds.
• Krause's five points were a season-high.
• Heaton finished a perfect 4-for-4 (100%) at the free throw line.
• EC has tallied at least one block in 12 of its 13 games this season.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles continue Empire 8 play on Saturday afternoon, when they trek to Utica, New York, to battle the Pioneers of Utica College. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.