ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Elmira College Soaring Eagles (11-12, 6-10 Empire 8) are set to take on the Highlanders from Houghton University (21-4, 12-4 Empire 8) in the opening round of the Empire 8 Women's Basketball Championship at 7:00 PM on Tuesday evening inside the Nielsen Center. The matchup between the teams marks the second time in as many seasons where the Soaring Eagles and Highlanders have met in the quarterfinal round of the E8 Championships, with Elmira coming away victorious in last years' matchup. 

The Soaring Eagles enter Tuesday after finishing with a win and a loss on its record in the final weekend of the regular season. Last Friday, Elmira picked up a road victory at Keuka (71-59) before falling in the regular season finale at Utica on Saturday (36-46). Houghton heads into Tuesday after also finishing with  a win and loss to its record, falling to Hartwick on Friday before defeating Russell Sage on Saturday. 

The Highlanders earned the #3 seed in the upcoming tournament, its highest seeding as a program since joining the Empire 8, and its third time qualifying. For Elmira, head coach Thad Phillips leads his squad to the Empire 8 Tournament for the second straight season (fifth all-time in program history), as the sixth seed. Houghton is 0-2 all-time in the tournament, while Elmira has posted a 3-4 record. 

MATCHUP HISTORY:

• All-time, Elmira holds a 19-22 record against the Highlanders, dating back to 1979. 
• The teams have split each of its last four games, as Houghton took both regular season matchups this season, with Elmira picking up a pair of victories on the road last season. 
• In its history, there have been four streaks of at least five straight wins between the Purple & Gold and Highlanders. Each team has a streak of eight wins, with Elmira's eight straight victories coming from 2013-17. 
• Elmira returns five of its seven players that participated in last years' Empire 8 Quarterfinal victory against the Highlanders, including Winston and Bogota, who combined for 25 points. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

• For the Highlanders, the trio of Kayla Camacho (14.8), Crysta Lacrosse (11.8), and Tabitha DeVries (9.5) have combined for 55.3% of the Highlander offense this season. 
• Camacho ranks 2^nd in the Empire 8 in scoring, while Lacrosse ranks first in the E8 with 3.5 assists per game. 
• The Highlanders have put together one of its best defensive seasons in program history, as they rank top-ten nationally in scoring defense (48.2), blocks per game (5.7), field goal percentage defense (30.8%), and turnover margin (9.04). 
• Nevaeh Winston '25 has continued to have a productive season on both sides of the ball, as the junior has averaged a career-best 10.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She ranks 11^th in the conference in field goal percentage this season, while Laura Bogota '25 ranks 13^th. 
• As a team, the Soaring Eagles rank 2^nd in the Empire 8 in three-point field goal percentage (29.2%). 

TICKET INFORMATION
$6.00 - Adults
$4.00 - Students (with ID)
$4.00 - Senior Citizens
Free - Children Under 12
All tickets can be purchased at the game.

STATISTICS & LIVE VIDEO
Houghton University will provide all live video and statistics. Both can be accessed through clicking here.