ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira College women's basketball team welcomed the Hartwick Hawks to Speidel Gymnasium Friday evening for an Empire 8 matchup. A dominant second half saw the Soaring Eagles erase an early deficit and come out on top, 68-52. 

PLAY-BY-PLAY
Amarionah Dixon opened the game's scoring from the charity stripe before Haley Mosch's shot from downtown gave the Soaring Eagles their first field goal of the game. EC and Hartwick exchanged baskets throughout an exciting first period, with Hartwick emerging with a 16–13 edge. Emma Ryan's driving layup opened the second quarter, but strong shooting by Hartwick fueled a 13–0 run that extended its lead to 29–15 halfway through the period. The Soaring Eagles responded with baskets from Mallory Welty, Mia Welty, and Ryan to cut the deficit back to single digits, as both teams headed into the locker room with Hartwick leading, 33–24.

Lauren Miller's three-pointer, Elmira's first field goal of the third quarter, helped spark the Soaring Eagles' offense. Strong play on both ends of the court allowed EC to erase its deficit and tie the game at 40 with just under five minutes remaining in the period. A Mallory Welty triple then gave Elmira the lead, which it extended behind strong team free-throw shooting. The Soaring Eagles carried a 50–46 advantage into the final quarter. An electric start to the fourth saw Elmira rip off a 15–0 run, controlling play in the paint. The Soaring Eagles' dominant fourth quarter sealed the win, 68–52.

LEADERS
Emma Ryan led EC in scoring with 17 points. Amarionah Dixon contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds, while Mallory Welty also added 11 points. Sophia Ward set a new career high with 10 assists, marking the first time in 15 years that an Elmira College women's basketball player recorded double-digit assists.

UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles will be back inside Speidel Gymnasium on Saturday, January 10, as they take on the Gators of Russell Sage at 2:00 PM.