Women’s Basketball Falls At WNEC, 65-50

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Elms College senior forward Amanda Brogna (Oxford, Mass.) recorded a double-double with a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, but Western New England College (WNEC) received a double-digit scoring effort from three players to help lift the Golden Bears to a 65-50 victory over the Blazers in Tuesday night’s non-conference women’s basketball game at Alumni Healthful Living Center.

With the loss, Elms slides to 1-3 on the season, while WNEC evens its overall record to 2-2.

Trailing 38-19 at the break, Elms roared back, using a 13-5 run to open the second stanza to pull to within 11 at 43-32 at the 12:11 mark but would get no closer. Trailing by 15 points with 10:15 left in the contest, senior guard Annie Dunnack (Mansfield Center, Conn.) nailed a three-pointer to cut the gap to 12, but WNEC was able to fend off every Elms comeback attempt, maintaining at least a 13-point cushion from that point on and leading by as many as 18 (3:06 mark) to seal the victory.

Brogna scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half as the Blazers shot 46.7 percent from the floor in the second frame to highlight the comeback effort. Brogna and senior forward Erin Hutchinson (Groton, Mass.) each had two blocks in the game.

Elms sophomore point guard Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, Mass.) dished out a game-high eight assists and added a block and a steal in the losing effort, while senior guard Jessica Jurkowski (Belchertown, Mass.) was the Blazers’ second leading scorer with seven points.

Dunnack and freshman guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) netted six points off the bench.

The Golden Bears were led by guard Kailah Al-Darraji’s (Dover, N.H.) 15 points, while forward Kelly McCormick (Manchester, Conn.) had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Emily Savino (Ellington, Conn.) also netted 12 points in the win.

WNEC received a big lift from its reserves who tallied 24 points led by guard Loren Stock’s (Rocky Hill, Conn.) eight points and center Elena Radzikowski’s (Medway, Mass.) six points and five rebounds.

Al-Darraji also had four rebounds, four steals, three blocks, and two assists, while Savino pulled down seven rebounds and had three assists.

Despite only shooting 29.8% from the field, the Golden Bears converted on 28 of 34 from the stripe, highlighted by a 10 for 10 effort from Savino.

Elms returns to non-conference action on Saturday, Dec. 5 with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Westfield State College.