Elmira, N.Y. – The Elmira College women's basketball team welcomed Penn College to Speidel Gymnasium for their home opener. The Soaring Eagles put together a strong offensive effort but despite a competitive four quarters, Elmira fell to the Wildcats 72-56.
Prior to today's game the Soaring Eagles took a moment to recognize senior
Haley Mosch on reaching 1,000 career points in their 2025-26 E8 Quarterfinal game against SUNY Brockport.
LEADERS
Leading the way for the Soaring Eagles was
Lauren Miller who finished with an impressive 17 points, including five three-pointers.
Emma Ryan followed with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a block.
Hannah Nichols added 11 points while dishing out three assists and connecting on a pair of shots from beyond the arc.
Aynsley Belcher contributed six points and six rebounds, while
Sophia Ward led Elmira with five assists. As a team, EC connected on 11 three-pointers and recorded 19 assists.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Soaring Eagles opened the contest with an early three-pointer from Ryan, followed by another from Nichols and a jumper from Ward. Miller added a three of her own, while Nichols knocked down another from beyond the arc to bring Elmira within one (15-14). The Wildcats responded with a late scoring stretch to close out the quarter, taking a 23-15 advantage into the second.
Elmira looked to cut into the deficit in the second quarter, with
Gianna Savoca opening the scoring with a three-pointer. Ryan followed with a pair of layups, while Miller connected from beyond the arc to bring the Soaring Eagles within three (27-25). Belcher added a layup and Nichols closed out the half with a jumper, but Penn College maintained its lead, 36-29 heading into the break.
Coming out of halftime, the Wildcats extended their advantage to 42-29 before Miller answered with a three-pointer. Ryan added a layup and Mosch connected from long range to help Elmira stay within striking distance. Miller and Ryan continued to contribute offensively, while Mosch added another three to keep EC within reach. Elmira continued to battle throughout the quarter, but Penn College carried a 54-47 lead into the final quarter.
The Soaring Eagles continued to stay aggressive in the fourth, with Belcher opening with a layup. Nichols added a pair of free throws before Miller knocked down yet another three-pointer, cutting the deficit to six (60-54). Ryan laid in another layup, but the Wildcats responded with a scoring run of their own to extend their advantage. Penn College held on to their lead as the Soaring Eagles looked for more opportunities in the final minutes but the Wildcats secured the 72-56 win.
UP NEXT
Elmira looks ahead to Saturday where they will host SUNY Morrisville in a non-conference contest with tip off set for 2:00 PM inside Speidel Gymnasium.
