ONEONTA, N.Y. -- A furious second-half comeback attempt came up short for the Elmira College women's basketball on Saturday evening, as the Soaring Eagles fell to Hartwick in the 2019-20 season finale by a final score of 61-54.
Elmira (4-21, 2-12 E8) was led by the senior duo of
Emily Breheny '20 and
Lauren Franklin '20, who finished with 12 and nine points, respectively. Despite pushing the Hawks (14-11, 8-6 E8) to the brink in the second half, Hartwick's consistent approach from the floor (44.4%) and a well-rounded attack made the difference. A trio of Hawks finished in double figures, headlined by Giuliana Pritchard, who tallied a game-high 13 points.
After Hartwick had built a 34-23 lead heading into the halftime break, the Soaring Eagles began to march back in the third quarter. A 7-to-0 run in the middle of the period pulled EC back within eight at 38-30. Breheny,
Taylor Johnson '23 and Franklin supplied the scoring during the outburst. The Hawks eventually pushed their lead back out to 14, but a layup from Franklin with 50 seconds left in the quarter pulled Elmira within 10. A finish in the paint from
Alyssa Waters '22 made it an eight-point game, 46-38 as time wound down.
EC opened the fourth quarter on a tear, as the Purple and Gold poured in seven consecutive points, highlighted by a 3-pointer from
Mykenzie Malacusky'23, to pull within three points, 48-45. The Soaring Eagles continued to trade baskets with the Hawks from there, as Waters cut the deficit to two points, 52-50, after a make at the charity stripe with 4:41 on the clock. Despite Elmira's best efforts, the Hawks managed to pull away from there, as Hartwick nailed its free throws to seal the contest.
News and Notes
- Bridget Yaw '20, Sarah Garner '20, Breheny and Franklin appeared in the final contest of their collegiate careers.
- Seven different players registered points for the Soaring Eagles.
- Breheny scored in double figures for the second time this season.
- Franklin registered a game-high three blocks.
- Franklin ended her career ranked seventh in EC history in rebounds (595)
- Malacusky finished with nine points while shooting a team-best 57.1% (4-for-7) from the floor.
