ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Despite a game- and career-high 17 points from Lauren Franklin '20, the Elmira College women's basketball team was unable to solve The Sage Colleges, as the Gators prevailed 60-42 over the Soaring Eagles on Tuesday night.

The Soaring Eagles (4-15, 2-6 E8) played their best in the first quarter, as they shot 43.8% (7-of-16) overall and 50.0% (3-of-6) from 3-point range in the opening period. However, EC finished with a 19.5 field-goal percentage (8-of-41) in the final three quarters combined.

Franklin was the lone Soaring Eagle to score in double figures, and she added five rebounds, three steals and one assist to her total. Off the bench, Taylor Johnson '23 provided seven points, and fellow first-year guard Mykenzie Malacusky '23 finished with six. Senior forward Emily Breheny '20 hauled in a team-high nine rebounds to go along with four points, three blocks and two steals.

The Gators (10-9, 6-2 E8) shot at a rate of 34.8% (24-of-69), but they did most of their damage on the glass. Sage grabbed an eye-popping 65 rebounds, including 30 offensive boards, which helped the visitors post a 17-to-0 advantage in second-chance points. Individually, Sage's Megan Flynn picked up a game-high 20 rebounds. Flynn, who netted 12 points, was one of two Gators to finish with a double-double.

EC recovered from a slow start in the first quarter to even the score at the first intermission. The Gators began with eight of the game's first 10 points. Down 8-2, however, EC went on a 10-3 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes. Franklin and Johnson scored five points apiece in the rally, including a 3-pointer from each. And while Sage briefly pulled ahead late in the quarter, the Soaring Eagles capped off the period with five in a row to tie the game at 19-all.

In the second and third quarters combined, the Gators outscored Elmira 27-13, and their lead remained in double figures for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

News and Notes

• Elmira ended Tuesday's contest with more blocks (5-to-4) and steals (10-to-6).
• Sage, however, dominated the glass with a 65-to-29 advantage in rebounds.
• The Soaring Eagle defense held the Gators to a single 3-pointer and a 3-point field-goal percentage of 7.7%, both of which are season lows for an opposing team.
• Franklin scored double-digit points for the seventh time this season.
• Franklin's 17 points are one more than her previous career high, which she picked up against Houghton on January 17.
• Three blocks mark a new career-high for Breheny, who leads the team with 16 on the year.
• Malacusky made 2-of-3 treys, giving her multiple 3-pointers for the third time in as many games.

Up Next
Elmira's four-game homestand continues on Saturday, February 1, when the Soaring Eagles host Utica College. The opening tip is slated for 4:00 p.m. inside Speidel Gymnasium. Prior to the start of the game, the College will hold a special ceremony in honor of former Vice President of Athletics Pat Thompson '75, as the court inside Speidel will be renamed in her honor.