Women's Basketball

Hawks Hang on Against Elmira for 10th Victory

ELMIRA, NY - Hartwick defeated Elmira College 71-64 at Speidel Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon to improve to 10-11 on the season. The victory marks the first time since 2005-06 that 'Wick women's basketball has earned 10 wins or more in a season. It also completes a season sweep of the Soaring Eagles after a six-point win at Binder Gymnasium on Jan. 23rd. The Hawks led by 20 points with 12 minutes to play in the game, and following a furious Soaring Eagle comeback, the Hawks hung on down the stretch for the win.

With 11:44 left in the game, a jumper from Krystle Crouse (Canajoharie, NY) gave Hartwick a 58-38 lead and it appeared that 'Wick would coast to the win. The basket, however, marked the final field goal of the day for HC as the team got the rest of its points from the free-throw line.

Elmira went on a 10-0 spurt over a six-minute span cutting the lead to 10 points, 58-48, before Fritzi Flores (Bergenfield, NJ) ended Hartwick's scoring drought with a pair from the charity stripe with 5:50 showing on the clock.

The Hawks would hit nine of 11 free throws over the next three and a half minutes and they led 67-56 with 1:48 to play. The Soaring Eagles would score six straight points over the next minute of action and suddenly the 'Wick lead was trimmed down to five, 67-62 with 1:18 remaining.

Katie Caddell (Amsterdam, NY) connected on a pair from the line for two of her 11 points making it a seven-point game with under a minute left, but a Chelsea Kent shot on EC's next trip down the floor cut it to five again with 37 ticks remaining. The Soaring Eagles fouled Cassie Dresser (Ovid, NY) who missed both of her free throws, but Flores would come down with a big offensive board for the Hawks. She was then fouled and nailed both of her shots from the line with 28 seconds left to make it a three-possession game and essentially put the contest away.

In the first half, the Hawks shot 59% from the field and hit five three-pointers to open up a 20-point lead (45-25) with the help of a 21-11 run in the final eight minutes of the period. Lauren Ploof (Hammond, NY), who finished with a team-high 17 points, scored 12 in the opening stanza for the Hawks. Flores finished the game perfect from the line going 7-for-7. She scored 16 points, including 10 in the second half, grabbed six rebounds and recorded six assists. Danée Harrison (Cary, NC) recorded nine rebounds for the Hawks, who finished the day with a 43-32 edge in rebounds.

Marcia Coakley led Elmira with 18 points. Erin Rupell added 16, Becky Peterman netted 11, and Kent scored 10.

Hartwick next hosts Utica College at Binder on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. The Pioneers sport a record of 15-5 and are tied for first in the Empire 8 with a mark of 9-2.