Parks Scores 23 Points and Hauls in 19 Rebounds in a 63-52 Victory Over Becker College

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down a game-best 19 rebounds to help pace the Blazers to a 63-52 victory over Becker College in Thursday evening's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball game at Picknelly Arena.

With the win, Elms improves to 7-7 on the season, 6-1 in NECC action, while Becker moves to 3-11 overall, 2-5 in NECC play.

In the opening period, the sides battled to three ties and a 14-14 score before Elms' freshman guard Kendall McKinnon (Kensington, Conn.) swished a trey that sparked a 12-5 run that gave the Blazers a 26-19 advantage with two minutes to play in the first half. Becker's Tarisha Renaud (Worcester, Mass.) and Tatiana Mojica (Worcester, Mass.) each added a layup with less than one minute to play in the stanza to pull the Hawks to within three at 26-23 at intermission.

Parks and Mojica were the two offensive stars through the first 20 minutes, scoring 13 and 10 points to lead their respective teams. Parks also had 11 of her 19 rebounds in the first half, and was 7 of 8 shooting from the free throw line.

In the second half, Blazers' sophomore guard Gianna Youngblood (East Freetown, Mass.) canned a three-pointer and the sides traded baskets leading to a 33-28 score in favor of Elms. The Blazers then used a 9-2 run capped by another Youngblood triple to set the score at 42-30 with 12:25 left in the contest.

Becker's Haley Ooms (Valatie, N.Y.) delivered three layups in the second half, including one at the 6:15 mark pull the Hawks to within seven (49-42), but that's as close as Becker would get as the Blazers closed out an 11-point victory.

Elms shot 40.7-percent from the field led by Parks' 7 for 14 effort from the floor and 9 of 10 showing at the free throw line. Youngblood finished with 11 points and six rebounds, with seven of those points coming in the second frame.

Sophomore forward JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.) made an impact in the second half as well, scoring all nine of her points during the stanza and totaled eight rebounds in the game. Freshman guard Jenna Oyler (Metuchen, N.J.) added seven points off the bench and dished out four assists, while Youngblood also collected four helpers.

Parks accounted for three of Elms' seven blocked shots, while senior guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) and Pickett added two rejections each.

Mojica was 7 of 24 from the field and finished with a team-high 20 points for Becker in the losing effort. She also corralled 10 boards. Ooms netted 11 points and chipped in seven rebounds, while Jacqueline Chila (Monroe, Conn.) scored 10 points to give the Hawks three starters in double figures.

Brooke Martel (Griswold, Conn.) finished with eight points, Ooms dished out seven assists, and Chelsea Joubert (Westborough, Mass.) notched five steals.

Elms returns to action on Saturday, January 19 when it travels to Regis College for a 1:00 p.m. NECC contest with the Pride.