Worcester, MA --- Junior point guard Rachel Pineda (Shrewsbury, MA) scored the first six points of the game to get WPI rolling in a 64-46 NEWMAC women's basketball win over visiting Emerson at Harrington Auditorium on Thursday evening.

Pineda tied with fellow junior Dani Davis (East Granby, CT) with a game-high 16 points as the Engineers posted their second-highest point total of the season.

Davis, the team's leading scorer, hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points after the break, also pulling in five rebounds. Pineda, the court general who averages below six points a game, shot 7-of-9 from the field. Both players had three steals.

The Lions received nine points apiece from sophomore Janissa Delzo (Middlesex, NJ) and freshmanElizabeth Horan (Ashland, MA), both guards.

After scoring just 11 points in the first half, Emerson rebounded out of the intermission to outscore WPI, 35-32, over the final 20 minutes.

The hosts made the most of their first game at Harrington Auditorium of 2014 as Pineda spotted them a six-point advantage at the outset. 

The Engineers stretched the lead out midway through the first half, holding Emerson scoreless for over four minutes starting with 10:51 to go in the half. WPI used the opening to string together an eight-point spurt over just one minute.  

Davis splashed a 3-pointer to highlight the home side's biggest run of the game with left them up 23-7 with 6:48 left before halftime. 

Still up 16 two minutes later, WPI cobbled together another strong defensive stretch to keep the Lions off the scoreboard for the final 4:40 of the first half.

Pineda nearly matched Emerson herself with 10 points before the break. 

The visiting Lions never came closer than 14 back in the second half, stringing together a 6-0 run to draw it to 43-29 with 9:29 remaining.

The Crimson-and-Gray held a sizable advantage in two key statistics, finishing plus-10 in rebounds and plus-13 in points off turnovers. 

Jessica Larsen (San Diego, CA) and Amaia Gritsko (Milford, CT) each had seven rebounds for the team-high. Larsen also scored six points, while captain Siena Mamayek (Melrose, MA) contributed seven points and five rebounds.

Kelsey Johnson (Syracuse, NY) added nine boards and six points for the visitors while 

Catherine Cloutier (Methuen, MA) chipped in with eight rebounds and a game-best four blocks.

WPI (5-7, 3-4 NEWMAC) will jump back into action away to Wellesley at 2pm. Saturday. Meanwhile, Emerson (4-7, 1-6) hosts Mt. Holyoke at 3pm Saturday.  

Release by Carl Setterlund - WPI Athletics Intern - Emerson '14

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