Utica, NY – Kat McRobbie-Taru and Kate Grainger combined for 39 of the teams' 76 points as well as 22 rebounds as the SUNY Canton women's basketball finished their non-conference slate perfect with a 7-0 record after a 76-52 road win at Utica on Wednesday.

THE BASICS

• Result: SUNY Canton 76, Utica 52
• Location: Miga Court – Utica, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (7-0) | Utica (3-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Grainger had five points right out of the gates to get the Roos going, but then Utica responded with seven straight to take the lead with 6:53 left in the first quarter.
• McRobbie-Taru then took over for the Roos, scoring their next six points as it was 14-14 late into the first quarter.
• With 57 seconds remaining, Grace Villnave scored a hoop in the lane plus a foul and SUNY Canton had a 16-14 lead after 10 minutes went by.  
• The Roos started off well in the second quarter with good shooting, rebounding, and defense, scoring 12 of the first 15 points to take a 28-17 advantage. McRobbie-Taru continued her strong first half with eight more points.
• It appeared that the Roos were about to run the Pioneers out of the gym, but Utica had a quick response with a 10-2 run to bring the game at 30-27 with 1:43 left in the first half.
• Sierra Pabo had a pair of free throws late and Chelsie Tyler scored her seventh point of the quarter with a three and the Roos had a 35-27 edge going into the locker room. McRobbie-Taru totaled 14 points in the first half to pace SUNY Canton.
• The third quarter was fairly even to begin with. Utica trimmed the lead to four at one point, but the Roos had a 7-0 run as a response. The first 30 minutes concluded with SUNY Canton leading 52-42.
• Grainger and defense was the name of the game in the fourth quarter with Grainger scoring seven points in the first three minutes and the Pioneers unable to buy a bucket.
• Utica was held without a field goal for an eight-minute span between the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter and SUNY Canton used their defense to fuel their offense and run away with it. An Alyvia Roberts layup made the game 63-43 in favor of the Roos with 5:55 left to play.
• The home team was able to get some shots to fall late, but the Roos always had an answer to keep themselves in the driver's seat as they went on to win 76-52.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• McRobbie Taru had 22 points and 10 rebounds while going 9-for-14 from the field. Grainger had 17 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots. The transfer from Onondaga Community College has scored at least 13 in each of her first four games for SUNY Canton.
• Pabo had eight points, dished out five assists and had three rebounds. Hope Aniceto pitched in with three assists and Tyler logged seven points.
• Utica was led by Vanessa Hall and McKenzie Simmons who were the only players to score more than five points on the home side with Hall at 18 and Simmons with 17.
• SUNY Canton shot much better from the field at 41% (31-75) while Utica struggled at 27% (16-59). The Roos won the rebound battle 56-42 and had many more bench points (23-9), and second chance points (13-2).

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos will take their undefeated record into their SUNYAC opener against the Morrisville Mustangs on the road Friday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.  

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.