Women’s Basketball can’t overcome early deficit, fall to Utica 66-48

North Adams, MA-Utica University used a balanced scoring attack placing four players in double-figures to roll past MCLA tonight 66-48. With the win the Pioneers improve to 4-0 on the season while the Trailblazers fall to 2-3.

Utica would open the game forcing eight first quarter turnovers to jump out to a 21-11 lead after the first quarer.

The Pioneers would open the second quarter on an 8-0 run which included two Hope Halverson 3-pointers to extend the Utica lead to 29-11 with just over six minutes left to play in the half. The Trailblazers would find their bearings outscoring the visitors 12-7 down the stretch to go into the locker room down 36-23.

Zaylee Ramos would score eight of her game-high 14 points in the third quarter and her jumper with 1:45 left would cut the MCLA deficit to 44-35. Unfortunately for the Trailblazers that is as close as they would come.

Utica's Petrina DeMarco would score eight points in the final frame and her 3-pointer with just under four minutes to play would give the Pioneers their largest lead of the night, 61-41.

Along with DeMarco (11 points) and Halverson (10 points), Haley Burchhardt finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds, and Krissy Geraci posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Ramos finished with 14 points and six rebounds for the Trailblazers while classmates Kristie Zator chipped in 13 points, and Hailey Peabody with 7 points and seven rebounds, had solid performances.

Utica shot 38.1% from the field including 30.4% from 3-point territory. MCLA shot just 32.1% from the field and struggled from the outside going just 4-24 from beyond the arc on the evening.

The Pioneers dominated the Trailblazers in the paint (32-8) and on the glass, out rebounding MCLA 48-31.

Utica is off until November 29^th when they return to action at SUNY Poly. MCLA will be back in action tomorrow night when they'll take on visiting Baruch at 6pm.