Nashua – The first 12 minutes of the Daniel Webster women's basketball team's Tuesday night NECC quarterfinal matchup resembled a car on a cold Nashua winter morning. The key was turning, but the engine just wouldn't turn over. But after a little time to get warmed up, the Eagles eventually hit on all cylinders.
Backed by a balanced scoring offense powered by a game high 25 points from junior Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, Conn.) and a triple double of 14 points, 10 boards and 13 assists from fellow junior Sarah Paternostro (Glastonbury, Conn.), the third-seeded Eagles rebounded from an early cold spell to rush past sixth-seeded Elms College, 80-62 in the quarterfinals of the New England Collegiate Conference tournament Tuesday night at the Mario Vagge Gymnasium.
Bosques knocked down 10 of 15 from the field with three three-pointers, while Paternostro, who became the first Eagle in program history with a triple double earlier this season, tied her career high for assists as the Eagles (16-10) advanced to the semifinal round to be played this coming Friday night.
Daniel Webster will face second-seeded Mitchell College (14-8) Friday at 8:00 p.m. on the campus of Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass. The first semifinal pits top seed and tournament host Lesley University against fifth-seeded Becker College at 6:00 p.m.
Semifinal winners advance to the championship, slated for Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.) added 16 points for Daniel Webster, pulling down seven boards and adding three assists and four steals. Kirsten Murphy (Woodstock, Vt.) was huge off the bench, knocking down 5 of 7 from the field for 10 points. Junior Kacie Lang (Raymond, N.H.) added eight points including a pair of pivotal first half treys, and added four steals.
Junior forward Erika Murphy's 21 points, 11 rebounds and three steals paced a young Blazers squad, which finished 9-17 overall and graduated no seniors. Sophomore Jen Normandie added 10 points and six boards. Freshman Ellen Donohue chipped in with seven points and four assists.
Elms came out firing on all pistons while the Eagles' engine sputtered over the opening 12 minutes with the Blazers knocking down seven of their first eight from the field while DWC was two for its first nine with three turnovers, allowing Elms to open up a 16-4 lead that remained at 10 (20-10) after a Normandie layup with 11:26 to go.
A Taylor Darby three kept the Elms lead at seven (23-16) with 8:28 to go in the opening half, but the Eagle ignition finally fired and the game turned suddenly and emphatically.
Bosques got the offense moving with a layup, and an inside move from Gervais was followed by back-to-back soft jumpers from Murphy that gave DWC its first lead at 24-23 with 5:47 to go.
Holding onto a three-point lead (26-23), the Eagles went outside with a quick and devastating run. Lang knocked down a trey, Paternostro went deep and Lang added another from the arc that opened up a 35-24 lead with 3:13 left. By the time the dust cleared, DWC had put together a 25-4 run over the final 8:02 of the half for a 41-27 lead at the break.
Elms pulled within 13 twice over the first five minutes of the second, the second on a Normandie layup for a 52-39 game with 14:58 to go, but Paternostro answered inside, Bosques knocked down a three and a Murphy jumper would later push the lead out to 25 (66-41) with 9:20 to go and the Eagles never allowed Elms closer than 18 down the stretch.
The Eagles would finish shooting a consistent 50-percent all night (51% second half) while Elms finished 37-percent. DWC also finished with advantages in rebounds (42-34) and total assists (23-11).