Score: Hartwick College 75, Elmira College 50
Records: Hartwick (19-3, 12-1 E8), Elmira (5-15, 1-10 E8)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, N.Y.
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- A valiant second-half effort by the Elmira College women's basketball team was not enough, as the Empire 8 Conference-leading Hawks of Hartwick College marched away with a 75-50 victory on Tuesday night.
 
Rachel Vespucci '19 and Bridget Yaw '20 paced the Purple and Gold with 10 points apiece. Vespucci shot 50-percent from the field on 5-of-10 shooting and pulled down four rebounds. Yaw was 4-of-11 from the floor and added four boards.
 
Rookie Alyssa Waters '22 added six points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds. Lindsey Heaton '19 chipped in eight points, four assists, three rebounds and a career-high five steals. Lauren Franklin '20 was close behind in the point category with seven, to go along with four boards and four assists.
 
Three players finished in double figures for the Hawks, led by a 16-point effort from Caitlin Corbett. Corbett also pulled down a game-high eight boards. Kelly Pine and Carly Johnson added 15 points each, while Mary Schoenherr dished out a game-high eight assists.
 
Hartwick was in a groove offensively for most of the E8 bout, connecting on 46-percent of its attempts (29-of-63) and drained 4-of-12 from 3-point range. Elmira went 20-for-64 from the field (31.3%) and 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. The bulk of Hartwick's offense occurred in the low post, as the Hawks produced 44 points in the paint, including 21 second-chance points.
 
Both teams were efficient from the charity stripe, as the Hawks were 13-of-14 (92.9%) and the Soaring Eagles finished 7-for-10 (70.0%). The Hawks also won the battle of the boards, 44-34, and limited their turnovers to 16 compared to Elmira's nine.
 
News and Notes

• Vespucci has produced double figures in three of EC's last four games.
• Yaw has finished with double-digit points in three straight games.
• Waters' seven rebounds is tied for the second-highest total of her rookie season.
• Heaton finished with a career-high five steals.
• EC played in its penultimate game of a four-game homestand.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to action this Friday, February 8, as they host the Pioneers of Utica College as part of the 37th Annual Elmira College Athletics Alumni Weekend. Tip-off for the Empire 8 matchup is set for 5:30 p.m. at Speidel Gymnasium in Elmira, New York. Prior to the start of the contest, the Purple and Gold will honor their four graduating members of the Class of 2019.