ELMIRA, N.Y. -- For the second time in as many days, the Elmira College women's basketball team came out victorious against Wells College, as the Soaring Eagles beat the Express 60-25 on Saturday afternoon.

The home-opening win on Pat Thompson '75 Court inside Speidel Gymnasium marked Elmira's (2-1) best performance of the season thus far. In addition to holding the Express (0-2) to a season-low 25 points, EC's 60 points on the offensive end are a single-game high. The Purple and Gold were also at their best shooting from the field (41.7%) and 3-point distance (31.6%).

Mykenzie Malacusky '23 turned in a stellar performance, particularly in the first half. The Dushore, Pennsylvania, native followed up her 19-point effort from Friday's contest with a career-high in the opening half alone. The second-year standout was responsible for 20 of Elmira's 34 points in the first 20 minutes of action and finished with 22 overall on 8-of-11 shooting (72.7%). Malacusky's only misses were from beyond the 3-point arc, where she nailed 4-of-7 treys.

Alyssa Waters '22 poured in 10 points with a team-leading six assists and five rebounds. First-year talent Emily Sutryk '24 had six points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Sophomore forward Autumn Hunsinger '23 collected a team- and career-high eight rebounds and recorded all three EC blocks.

Other than the first quarter, during which Wells netted 11 points, the Elmira defense held the Express to single-digit points in each remaining period. Leading 14-11 after the first, the Soaring Eagles opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run. Two of those field goals, a fast-break layup by Sutryk and a 3-pointer from Malacusky, resulted from steals on the defensive end. The quarter ended on an 11-0 run, with the last six points of the half coming on treys from Malacusky and Waters.

The second-half attack was more balanced, as every player on the team posted at least two points but no more than five. Coming off of the bench, Hunsinger and Katy Decker '23 scored all of their combined seven points in the half, while Alyssa Gadoury '23 added four points.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Bridget Paluga '08 on Elmira's outstanding performance against Wells on Saturday…
"I'm proud of these young ladies. They came today ready to play. They worked together and did the little things, made each other look good, and played unselfishly. It paid off."

News and Notes

• Elmira won its second game in a row, sweeping both non-conference matchups against Wells.
• The Soaring Eagles outscored the Express 117-58 in the two-game series.
• The last time EC won back-to-back games was on January 17-18, 2020, when the Soaring Eagles defeated Houghton (72-71 OT) and Alfred (59-58) in a pair of one-point battles.
• Malacusky's 20 first-half points were more than she had scored in any game of her collegiate career, and the guard finished the afternoon with a game-high 22 points.
• Eight different Soaring Eagles picked up a steal, with four apiece by Malacusky and Decker.
• Of Hunsinger's career-high eight rebounds, five were offensive boards.
• Elmira's lone freshman, Sutryk, made her third consecutive start and posted season-highs in points (6) and rebounds (6).

Up Next
Elmira's three-game homestand at Speidel continues on Tuesday, March 9, when the Soaring Eagles host Houghton College. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.