ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Elmira College Women's Basketball squad opened the 2021-22 season with a 72-57 victory over the Wildcats from Penn College. After trailing in the early going for just 28 seconds, EC used 38:27 minutes in the lead to give Thad Phillips his first win as head coach with the Soaring Eagles. Alyssa Waters '22 led the way offensively with 31 points, a career-high, on 13-of-23 shooting from the floor.
JUST THE BASICS
Location: Elmira, New York | Speidel Gymnasium
Score: Elmira: 72, Penn College: 57
Records: Elmira: (1-0, 0-0 E8), Penn College (0-1, 0-0 NEAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED :
Waters got the scoring started for Elmira to begin the 2021-22 season just 20 seconds into the contest and the Soaring Eagles never looked back. After holding the lead at 6-5 less than four minutes into the contest, the Wildcats never held the lead again as EC used an 8-0 run and ended the opening quarter with a 20-15 lead.
In the second, the Soaring Eagles shot a game-best 60.0% from the floor on 9-of-15 shooting. Elmira ended the period outscoring the opposition 24-14 and extended their lead to 15 at halftime. As a team, the Soaring Eagles shot 48.5% from the floor while the Wildcats shot 48.0%, while adding 16 turnovers to the ledger.
In the second half, the Wildcats adjusted on defense and were able to shoot even with Elmira, as each team notched 13 points in the third and 15 in the fourth. Waters, who scored 16 in the first half was able to score 15 in the second as Elmira cruised to a 72-57 victory on opening night.
Five Soaring Eagles scored the first points of their career, as Desiree Roy '25 (9), Olivia Ayres '25 (9), Nevaeh Winston '25 (9), D'Asia Jones '25 (1), and Taylor Jung '25 (1) added to the tally. The Wildcats outrebounded EC 38-35, while Elmira was able to finish the game shooting 40.6% from the floor compared to 41.5% for the visitors.
ELMIRA LEADERS (26-of-64, 40.6 percent from the field)
Alyssa Waters – 31 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Desiree Roy – 9 points, 9 rebounds 1 assist
Nevaeh Winston – 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
PENN COLLEGE LEADERS ( 22-of-53, 41.5 percent from the field)
Ja'Quela Dyer – 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists
Rachel Teats – 12 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
