ELMIRA, N.Y. – As Desiree Roy '25 recorded her seventh double-double of the season in just 11 games, the Elmira College women's basketball team found themselves on top at the end of a defensive battle, 44-31. With the win, the Soaring Eagles have picked up its first three-game Empire 8 win streak since the 2013-14 season, when it did so against Nazareth, St. John Fisher, and Utica.

Roy finished the contest with ten points and 12 rebounds, while Taylor Albrecht '22 recorded nine points to help lead the Elmira offense. The Soaring Eagles found themselves controlling the game in the paint, outscoring the Hawks 20-10, while EC held the visitors to just a 3-of-20 effort (15.0%) from three-point range. 

JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 44, Hartwick 31
LOCATION: Elmira, New York | Speidel Gymnasium
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (7-4, 3-2 E8), Hartwick (3-7, 1-3 E8)

HOW IT HAPPENED:
After Roy scored the first bucket of the game just 14 seconds into the contest, offense would take a halt for both teams over the next three and a half minutes of play as the Hawks used a 5-0 run to begin its scoring. Hartwick would extend its lead to as many as four in the quarter before the Soaring Eagles used a 9-2 run down the stretch in order to take a 13-10 lead into the second quarter, capped off by a layup from Albrecht. 

The Soaring Eagles would be held to its lowest scoring total in any quarter in the second (6), while the Hawks matched its first quarter total of ten. At the break, the Hawks held a narrow 20-19 lead, while converting on just three field goals compared to two for the Purple & Gold. In the first half, Elmira would shoot 7-of-29 (24.1%) from the floor, compared to 28.0% for the visitors (7-of-25). 

In the second half, Albrecht would score each of the first five points for Elmira, who would go on to outscore Hartwick 13-8 while carrying a four point lead into the final frame. From there, Elmira would post its best defensive effort, holding the Hawks to just three fourth quarter points while scoring 12 of its own on its way to a 44-31 victory. 

For the contest, the Soaring Eagles shot just 29.1% from the field (16-of-55) compared to a 24.5% effort for Hartwick (12-of-49). The Purple & Gold forced the visitors into 27 turnovers, while committing 23 of their own

UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles return to the court on Friday, January 13 as it heads to Utica University to square off with the Pioneers. Tip is set for 5:30 PM on the campus of Utica.