KEUKA PARK, N.Y. – The Elmira College women's basketball team recovered after a slow second quarter to beat Keuka College in the penultimate game of the regular season, 71-59. With this win, the Purple & Gold secured its spot in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament heading into the final game of the regular season.

Laura Bogota '25 posted a season-high 31 points during the game, shooting 7-10 from distance and adding five assists and two steals.

JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 71, Keuka 59
LOCATION: Keuka Park, New York | JMW Recreation and Athletics Center
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (11-11, 6-9 E8), Keuka (1-22, 0-15 E8)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Elmira began the game on a 7-0 run, capped off by Bogota's first basket from beyond the arc. However, Keuka tied the game with seven unanswered points before another Bogota three gave the Soaring Eagles the lead once again. Alleney Klunk '24 added to the scoring with a layup, and Bogota drilled another three, giving EC a 15-10 lead with 3:32 left in the opening quarter. After a made basket by the Wolves, Elmira scored six more without a response, with D'Asia Jones '25 and Nevaeh Winston '25 joining the scoring. Keuka scored the quarter's final four points, but Elmira still held a 21-16 advantage heading into the second.
• The Wolves scored the first points of the second quarter, cutting Elmira's lead to three before Jones responded with a layup. However, the hosts then went on an 8-2 run, taking a one-point lead before Klunk knocked down a three. Keuka scored the final ten points of the half without an Elmira response and took a 36-28 lead into the third quarter. Elmira was outscored 20-7 in the second.
• The Soaring Eagles opened the third by scoring the first six points, with Bogota once again hitting from downtown. This cut the lead to two, but two consecutive three-pointers by the Wolves gave them an eight-point lead again. From that point, Elmira scored its following 11 points unanswered, with seven points from Bogota and two points apiece from Jones and Winston, to help the Purple & Gold retake the lead, 45-42, with 3:59 left in the quarter. After a Keuka jump shot to bring the lead to one, back-to-back Mia Welty '26 baskets put Elmira in a six-point advantage. However, Keuka knocked down a pair of three-pointers on its next two possessions, tying the game at 50 going into the last ten minutes of game time.
• Jones started the fourth with a three-pointer before Keuka hit a pair of free throws to answer. Bogota drilled another one from beyond the arc, but Keuka once again responded with a pair of free throws on the following possession. Elmira responded with Taylor Jung '25 converting a three-point play, followed by three-pointers from Bogota and Welty, giving the Soaring Eagles a 9-0 run and putting them up 65-54 with three minutes left. After that, Elmira controlled the game, never letting its lead fall below ten points, and cruised to a 71-59 victory.
• EC made its turnovers count, scoring 19 points off Keuka giveaways, while the Wolves only had four points off turnovers during the game.

UP NEXT:
Elmira travels to Utica for its final game of the regular season on Saturday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m., where the Soaring Eagles can clinch the number five seed with a win over the Pioneers.