Women's Basketball Held Off At Daniel Webster, 72-67
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HELD OFF AT DANIEL WEBSTER, 72-67
NASHUA, NH, Jan. 22, 2009 - Elms College junior forward Amanda Brogna (Oxford, MA) recorded a game-high 26 points and 14 rebounds, but Daniel Webster junior guard Nicole Conley (Hinesburg, VT) notched 16 points including five 3-pointers to lead four players in double figures and help the host Eagles hold off a late charge to post a 72-67 win over the Blazers in Thursday night's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball game at Mario Vagge Gymnasium..
The Eagles (7-7, 2-3 NECC) halted a two-game skid and held on after the Blazers (5-9, 3-2 NECC) stormed back from a 17-point second half deficit, closing to within four in the final moments.
Junior forward Briana DeSeignora (Medfield, MA) knocked down 14 for the Eagles, while freshman guard Vanessa Bosques (North Windham, CT) scored 12 and freshman guard Alycia Gervais (Windham, CT) added 10 as the other three Eagles to reach double figures in the victory.
Brogna, this week's NECC Player of the Week registered seven of her rebounds on the offensive end. Freshman guard Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, MA) added 10 points, six assists and five steals, while senior forward Paige Schneider (Windsor, CT) nearly reached a triple double with eight points, nine boards and nine assists.
Elms College came out strong in the early going, building an eight-point lead over the first 12 minutes, and led 27-19 before the Eagles rallied with a quick 8-0 run keyed by a three and a jumper from freshman forward Ali Chojnacki (Erie, PA), who would finish with eight points.
The Eagles took their first lead on another Chojnacki trey with 2:06 to go in the first half and led 39-35 at the break.
Daniel Webster took seeming command over the opening nine minutes of the second as Elms College went cold from the field, hitting just one of their first eight shots to start the half. The result was a 17-3 run, including four points from Gervais and five from Bosques for a 56-39 lead with 11:50 to play.
The Eagles held a 15-point edge (68-53) with 4:14 left, before Elms College stepped up its defensive pressure forcing four turnovers in five possessions and Schneider hit two key jumpers in the lane helping whittle the lead to eight with a minute to play.
Conley hit one of two at the line for the Eagles and Elms College junior forward Tomie Lafond (Hatfield, MA) followed with a three with 23 ticks left. Junior forward Jess Jurkowski (Belchertown, MA) would cut it to four on a jumper with 13 seconds left.
Freshman guard Amy Nelson (Cheshire, CT), however, knocked down one of two at the line with nine seconds to go to clinch the Eagle victory.
Elms College returns to NECC play when it hosts Becker on Saturday, January 24 at 3:00 p.m.