Women's Basketball to Host Bard College
The Matchup: Bard College Raptors (1-4 overall) vs. Elms College Blazers (2-2 overall)
Date: Saturday, December 3
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Site: Picknelly Arena (Chicopee, Mass.)
Click here for directions to Elms College
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All-Time Series: Saturday's contest marks the first-ever meeting between the schools in women's basketball.
Setting The Scene: Elms College takes the court looking to build on its impressive 71-53 victory over non-league rival Anna Maria College on Nov. 30 and is now 2-2 overall. Bard College comes to Chicopee, Mass. looking for its second win of the season and stands at 1-4 to start the 2011-12 season.
Scouting The Raptors: Bard posted its first win of the season on Nov. 22 with a 55-36 victory over Yeshiva University. Bard forced 32 turnovers, and seven of the Raptors' eight players scored. Liz Freud (Dover, Del.) led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Victoria Fleisher (Brooklyn, N.Y.) netted 12 points and dished out five assists, and Imani Jones (Brooklyn, N.Y.) contributed 10 points and nine rebounds to help Bard claim victory. Freud is averaging 11.2 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game, while Jones has posted a team-best 10.2 boards per contest average through the first five games of the season.
Scouting The Blazers: Elms enters this weekend's non-conference matchup looking to build on its 18-point victory over Anna Maria. Led by senior forward Erika Murphy (Torrington, Conn.) and freshman forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) who each scored 26 points against the AMCATS, the Blazers recorded a 42.9 field goal percentage (33 for 77) and held Anna Maria to just 4 of 28 shooting from beyond the arc (14.3-percent) to help seal the win. Murphy recorded a double-double, adding 10 rebounds to her 26 point-effort, while senior guard Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) hauled in eight boards and recorded three steals. Sophomore guard Ellen Donohue (Southington, Conn.) helped pace Elms' offensive output with six assists, while sophomore guard Emily Boucher (Ashburnham, Mass.) and Murphy dished out four helpers each. Sophomore guard Marisabel Santiago (Springfield, Mass.) added four steals in the winning effort for the Blazers.
Setting The Tone: Murphy and Parks have been the catalysts for Elms' offensive and defensive efforts so far this season as Parks enters weekend play averaging 18.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while Murphy averages 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per outing. The duo has also been extremely consistent shooting from the floor - both with field goal percentages above 55-percent.
Keeping Track Of Blazers' Athletics: For the latest news, notes and statistics visit athletics.elms.edu or call the office of sports information at (413) 265-2440. Fans can now follow the Blazers on Facebook and on live stats!
