HOUGHTON, NY – For the second time in the past three years, the Houghton Highlanders women's basketball team is headed to the Empire 8 championship game.
 
This time, though, they will host.
 
The Highlanders took care of business on Wednesday night, dominating the middle two quarters as they defeated the #7 seed Elmira Soaring Eagles, who had knocked off #2 seed Brockport last Saturday.
 
Houghton outscored the Soaring Eagles by 17 points in the second and third quarters, giving them enough cushion to pull out their 22^nd win of the year.
 
Meanwhile, in Rochester, the #4 seed Geneseo Knights took down the top-seeded Nazareth Golden Flyers, 54-48, allowing the Highlanders to host the Empire 8 championship game for the first time in school history.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: #3 Houghton – 66 | #7 Elmira – 48
Records: #3 Houghton: 22-5 | #7 Elmira: 13-14
Venue: Dix Family Court, The Nielsen Center at Houghton University | Attendance: 312

NOTABLE STATS
>> Houghton outrebounded Elmira, 46-22.
 
>> The Highlanders are now two wins away from tying the most wins in a single season (24 – 1998-99) in school history, and have won more games over any four-year span (81) in Houghton women's basketball history.
 
>> Tabitha DeVries collected 17 points and 12 rebounds, notching her fifth double-double of the season.  She is now only 18 points shy of 1,000 for her three-year career.
 
>> Crysta LaCrosse posted 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. 
 
Already the Houghton career-leader in assists (432), LaCrosse became the only woman to currently rank in Houghton's top-10 in points, assists, rebounds and steals.
 
She now has 1,194 career points, passing Stacia Dagwell (1988-92) for eighth place on the all-time scoring list, and is now only three points behind seventh-place holder Angela Layne (1999-03).
 
LaCrosse, who also ranks eighth all-time in steals, passed Jackie Carlson (1987-89) tonight for 10^th place in career rebounds (575).
 
She is also only six assists away from ranking third in assists in Empire 8 history.
 
>> Karina Crouse set another personal-best, scoring 15 points, two steals and five rebounds, the latter of which put her over 100 for the season.  Crouse hit back-to-back three in the first quarter that kick-started the Houghton offense.  She has reached double-digit scoring six times this season, but has scored 27 points in the Highlanders' two playoff games.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will host the #4 Geneseo Knights in the Empire 8 Championship Game, Saturday, February 28 at 2:00 p.m. in the Nielsen Center.