Women’s Basketball Outlasts Becker, 67-60

Box Score

Chicopee, Mass. - Elms College freshman guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Blazers past Becker College 67-60 in Saturday’s New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women’s basketball contest.

With the win, Elms improves to 7-11 on the season, 6-3 in NECC play, while the Hawks dropped to 4-14 on the year, and 4-5 in the NECC.

The Blazers grabbed a double-digit lead midway through the first half when sophomore point guard Carolyn Talmadge’s (Wilbraham, Mass.) layup at the 10:07 mark gave Elms a 20-9 cushion. Talmadge added seven more points over the next 8:26 to help give the Blazers a 31-14 edge, before Becker scored five of the next eight points to close out the half.

Senior guard Annie Dunnack (Mansfield Center, Conn.) hit a jumper just 1:58 into the second stanza to put the Blazers up 39-21. Becker responded with a 24-11 run highlighted by three treys from Shannon Tibbetts (Warren, Mass.). Tibbetts’ third three-pointer during the 27-point stretch capped off a span of 4:01 in which she scored 11 points to help pull the Hawks to within five at 50-45 with 8:47 left in the game.

Elms regained its double-digit lead 3:03 later when Dunnack hit a jumper to put the Blazers up 57-47. Two free throws by Heidi Miller (Sanbornton, N.H.) at the 3:30 mark once again cut Elms’ lead to seven. On the following Blazers’ possession Becker played stellar defense for 29 seconds before sophomore guard Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) nailed a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to put the Blazers up 64-54 with 3:16 to go.

Tibbetts’ fifth three-pointer of the game cut the lead to 64-57 with 2:21 left in the second half.

Trailing 65-57 with seven ticks remaining in the game Courtney Fiske (Westfield, Mass.) connected on a three-pointer to cut the gap to 65-60. On the ensuing Elms possession Talmadge, who finished the game with 13 points and five assists, went to the line and connected on a pair of free throws to secure Elms’ 67-60 victory.

Dunnack chipped in 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Condon scored in double figures for the third straight game as she contributed 12 points and pulled down six rebounds in the winning effort.

Miller had a double-double with a game high 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Tibbetts added 17 points for the Hawks in the loss. Fiske also scored in double figures, as she tossed in 13 points for Becker.

Elms returns to NECC action on Thursday when it travels to New London, Conn. to take on Mitchell College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.