Women's Basketball

Ploof, Harrison Combine to Power Hartwick Past Elmira College

ONEONTA, NY - Junior guard Lauren Ploof (Hammond, NY) and senior forward Danée Harrison (Cary, NC) combined for 37 points, 22 rebounds and nine steals on Friday night leading the Hartwick College women's basketball team to a 63-57 win over Elmira College at Binder Gymnasium. After trailing 42-33 with under 13 minutes to play, Hartwick outscored Elmira 30-15 for the remainder of the game to emerge with the victory. With the win, 'Wick snaps a six-game winless streak and improves to 6-9 overall and 2-5 in the Empire 8. EC drops to 6-9 and 2-5.

Ploof scored a game and season-high 21 points shooting seven of 13 from the field. She hit all three of her three-point attempts including a dagger to give the Hawks a four-point lead with under a minute left. She also added four steals and three assists. Harrison was dominant for 'Wick in the paint scoring 16 points and pulling down a career-best 19 rebounds. She also earned a career-high six blocks and five steals.

Elmira was led by Erin Rupell who netted 17 points and added 11 rebounds. Becky Peterman scored 13 points and connected on three baskets from beyond the three-point arc for the Soaring Eagles.

The game was back and forth down the stretch as the lead changed hands eight times and the score was tied five times in the final 10 minutes of action alone. The Soaring Eagles would take a 54-52 lead on a Marcia Coakley basket with just over three minutes left in the contest. 'Wick's Kara Foro (Schenectady, NY) would regain the lead for the Hawks as she was fouled attempting a three-pointer and calmly drained three straight from the line to make it 55-54 Hartwick.

A free throw by Cassie Dresser (Ovid, NY) with just over two minutes left gave the Hawks a 56-54 edge, but Peterman drained a triple from the corner to quickly give EC a one-point edge just eight seconds later.

On the next trip down the court, Dresser converted a jumper that gave Hartwick the lead for good, 58-57, with 1:41 to play. The Soaring Eagles could not convert on their next possession setting the stage for Ploof's big trey with 51 ticks remaining.

Elmira could not get anything to fall in the closing seconds as the team would miss its final four shots of the contest. Ploof and Harrison would each down a free throw in the final 30 seconds for the final 63-57 score line.

The first half was sloppy as both teams combined for 35 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. The Soaring Eagles would take control of the game in the latter stages of first half of action as they went on an 11-2 run over the final 5:22 to take a 30-21 lead into the break. EC's advantage would grow to 10 points twice early in the second half, but the Hawks were relentless as they continually chipped away at the lead. Trailing by nine points with 12:49 on the clock, the Blue and White went on a huge 13-0 run over the next two and a half minutes to gain a 46-42 edge, paving the way for the exciting, back and forth 10 minutes of action.

Both teams were even in the rebounding battle, 41-41. The Hawks shots 38% from the field and 42% from three-point range. It marks the highest three-point shooting percentage for the Hawks as a team in the last eight games. The Soaring Eagles also shot 38%. They also turned the ball over 28 times in the game, which the Hawks turned into 23 points.

The Hawks return to Binder on Sunday looking for two in a row as they battle Empire 8 basement dwellers, RIT. The Tigers are winless in conference play this season. Tip-off is set for noon.