Sage women's basketball stays perfect in E8; Gators down Elmira, 63-54
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
16 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 54 |
|
|
17 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 63 |
Albany, NY- Sage's women's basketball team hosted the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College on Saturday afternoon in an Empire 8 contest. The Gators won their third straight game as they beat Elmira, 63-54 behind the play of rookie forward Madasyn Bush (Pottersville, NY/North Warren Central) as she finished with 14 points. Sage improves to 7-3 overall and 2-0 in the league, while Elmira falls to 8-4 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
Sage held a narrow 30-28 lead at the half and after a tight second half that featured a two-point lead by Elmira with four second left in the third quarter, 45-43. Sage would take charge in the fourth quarter as they outscored Elmira 20-9 and captured the key league victory.
Bush led Sage with 14 points and added a team-best eight rebounds. Joining her in double-digit scoring was junior guard Emily Parslow (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) with 12 points. Parlsow added seven rebounds with four assists. Junior guard Macie Holmes Amsterdam, NY/Mekeel Christian Academy) added nine points with a pair of three pointers, while Parslow struck for three baskets from beyond the arch. Junior Kaitlyn Bowman (Dannemora, NY/Saranac) connected for nine points for Sage. Holmes led the Gators down the stretch with seven points in the fourth quarter.
Elmira's senior guard Danielle Cleary (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) led all players with her 20 points after adding four three-pointers and a 6-7 effort from the line. She added 12 of her points in the first half. Joining her in double-digit scoring was junior forward Rachel Vespucci (Macedon, NY/our Lady of Mercy) as she finished with 15 points, including 11 second half points for Elmira. She added nine rebounds before fouling out of the contest with a block and a steal and was the team's top scorer down the stretch with her seven points in the fourth.
Sage's trio of juniors continue to make their move in the Gator record book. After Saturday's action, Parslow is now 14th in career scoring with 709 points, having moved ahead of Cheslea Martin (701, 2010-2014). She also 3rd in career three-pointers made having tallied 122 while tying Sheila Clancy (231, 1985-1989) for career assists with 231. Holmes is 8th with her 97 career three's while Bowman boasts 419 career rebounds, which is good enough for 14th. Bowman has 562 career points, having added 138 assists which is 16th, just ahead of the 131 assists by Holmes in 17th place.
Sage will be in action next on January 8 hosting Western Connecticut State University in a non-conference game at Kahl Gym at 2 p.m. Elmira College travels to Houghton College for an Empire 8 contest on the road on January 9 at 8 p.m.
Team Stats
Elmira
| Game Statistics | Elmira | Russell Sage College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (20-63) | (22-59) |
| Field Goal % | 31.7% | 37.3% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 46 |
| Assists | 14 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 18 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 13 | 22 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 13 |
| Bench Pts | 4 | 19 |
