Gervais' Outside Shooting Helps Eagles Keep Rolling, 76-50

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CHICOPEE, Mass. – Alycia Gervais has done plenty of damage for the Daniel Webster College women's basketball team around the rim this season, with plenty of strong inside play and plenty more rebounding.

But it was her rare - and stunning - combination of outside shooting and deft passing that the junior forward put on display Saturday that kept the Eagle express rolling.

Gervais knocked down a career-best six three-pointers on the way to a game high 21 points, pulled in 16 rebounds, topped it off with another career best and game high seven assists, and even found time to throw in a couple of steals for good measure as the Eagles roared back from an 11-point first half deficit, thumping host Elms College, 76-50 for their 13th straight victory while remaining perfect in NECC play at 7-0 in their NECC matchup at Picknelly Arena.

It was the ninth double double of the season for the Windham, Conn. native, who upped her season averages to career bests of 15.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game as she finished 7 of 15 from the field, 6 of 9 from downtown, and added 12 caroms on the defensive glass.

Daniel Webster, which held Elms to 29.5-percent shooting from the floor, helped apply some salve to the sting that remained from last year's upset loss to the Blazers in the NECC final four.

The Eagles shot 39.7 percent as senior Alyssa Regan (Salem, Mass.) finished with 16 points (7-11 fg), followed by junior Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, Conn.) and Kristen Murphy (Woodstock, Vt.) who totaled 14 points each with Murphy adding eight boards including an important five on the offensive glass. Tonisha Tate (Lynn, Mass.) added six points (3-4 fg) off the bench.

Bosques moved to within just three points of becoming the sixth player in Eagles' program history to break the 1,000-point barrier, a milestone that will likely be reached Tuesday night at Newbury.

As has been the case of late, DWC used its inside game to take control. The Eagles outrebounded the Blazers (6-9, 4-2 NECC) by a nearly two to one margin (61-36), doubled them up scoring in the paint (38-16) and added 21 second-chance points while holding the hosts to just five.

Junior forward Erika Murphy (Torrington, Conn.) scored a team-high 13 points for the hosts.

Elms rushed out to a 12-4 lead at the 4:26 into the contest when freshman guard Ellen Donohue (Southington, Conn.) nailed a jumper to put Elms ahead by eight. Freshman forward Nicolette Martin (Colchester, Conn.) converted a layup underneath at the 6:32 mark to give the Blazers their largest lead of the game of 11 (24-13).

Daniel Webster answered when Gervais sparked a 13-4 run over the final 5:50, knocking down eight points on the strength of two treys and a layup during that stretch to pull the Eagles to within two at 28-26 at intermission.

DWC kept charging, scoring 11 straight to start the second half as Bosques nailed a three to start the run, while Regan capped the span with a layup to give the Eagles a 37-28 lead with 16:58 to go.

A jumper by Murphy at the 11:35 mark pulled Elms to within three at 41-38, but seven unanswered points capped by a Gervais trey extended the lead back to 10 (48-38) with 10:15 remaining left.

From there, Daniel Webster maintained at least an eight-point cushion extending the lead to as much as 27 using an 18-5 run from the 7:37 mark to 2:02 remaining for a 74-47 lead.

Martin finished with nine points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) added eight points in the losing effort.

The Eagles tip off with the Nighthawks Tuesday night at Hellenic College beginning at 5:00 p.m.