BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel Women's Basketball Team cruised to an 81-33 win over the visiting Gators of Pine Manor College on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action played in the Jean Yawkey Center. The win boosts the Saints to 13-7 overall and undefeated at 8-0 in GNAC play. Pine Manor drops to 5-13 on the season and 2-6 in the league.
Pine Manor's sophomore forward Tia Nelson (Rockport, Mass.) opened the game by nailing back-to-back three-pointers from the right baseline on the Gators' first two possessions. After an Emmanuel hoop down low, the Saints quickly applied their characteristic trapping zone press and forced a myriad of Gator turnovers. Emmanuel went up by ten points early (21-11) after a lay-up by Jasmine Burwell (Brentwood, N.Y.) at the 13-minute mark.
The two clubs exchanged hoops from long-range on ensuing possessions and Nelson's third trey of the game cut the Gators' deficit to 25-14 at the 10-minute mark. Emmanuel quickly went back up by ten (28-18) after a tri-fecta from freshman Darcey Sullivan (Dalton, Mass.) with eight minutes to go in the half.
Senior point guard Casey Shevlin (Medford, N.Y.) dished out her 5th assist of the half, when classmate Kristin LeBel (Tolland, Conn.) knocked down her second three-ball of the day, as Emmanuel led 39-18 at the 5-minute mark. The Saints pushed the spread up to 22 points, forcing 18 Pine Manor turnovers in the first half, and Emmanuel took a 46-24 lead into the break at halftime.
Sophomore forward Fiona O'Dwyer (Stamford, Conn.) led all scorers at the break with 10 points on 5 for 7 shooting. Nelson's 9 points was high for the Gators in the first half.
The second half featured Emmanuel extending its lead to thirty points (60-30) after a trey by freshman Laura Benvenuto (Wyckoff, N.J.) with thirteen minutes left to play. The Saints stretched their advantage over forty points (74-33), when Burwell hit a turn-around in the paint with 3:00 on the clock.
Emmanuel's defense forced 38 Pine Manor turnovers and the Saints came away with an 81-33 win. Emmanuel shot 40.5% (32-79) from the floor for the game and out-rebounded the Gators, 54-36.
O'Dwyer finished with 14 points to lead all scorers. Sullivan was Emmanuel's only other player scoring in double-figures, as she notched 10 points, to go along with her 4 steals. Nelson's 9 first-half points held up as the team-high for the Gators. For Emmanuel, O'dwyer led the team on the glass with 7 boards, while Enjolee Phillips (Hartford, Conn.) and Paulette Wright (Baltimore, Md.) each hauled in 7 rebounds for the Gators.
The Saints will return to the hardwood on Tuesday (2/8), when they travel across two to take on the Lions of Emerson College in a 7pm start.