Five Players Score in Double Figures as Women’s Basketball Roars Past Bay Path College 81-63

HOLYOKE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds and five Blazers scored in double figures to help stake an 81-63 victory over Bay Path College in Tuesday evening's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball game at the Brantley Center at Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Mass.

With the win Elms improves to 10-8 overall, 9-2 in NECC action, while Bay Path moves to 9-8, 6-5 in league action.

The Blazers stormed out of the gate notching a 21-4 lead in the first 6:14 of the contest and didn't look back.

Elms shot 52.8-percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes led by 18 points from Parks on 6 of 12 shooting as the Blazers posted a 50-29 halftime advantage.

Sophomore forward JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.) added nine points, freshman guard Jenna Oyler (Metuchen, N.J.) scored eight and senior guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) finished with seven points to lead the Blazers in the stanza. Parks added 12 rebounds while junior guard Ellen Donohue (Southington, Conn.) dished out four assists.

In the second half, Elms kept the contest out of reach, extending its lead to as many 27 on two occasions. Parks converted a layup and free throw with 12:12 to play in the game to set the score at 66-39 and junior forward Nicolette Martin (Colchester, Conn.) hit a pair from the charity stripe to give Elms a 71-44 advantage with 9:42 remaining in the contest.

Normandie, Oyler and sophomore guard Gianna Youngblood (East Freetown, Mass.) each recorded 11 points and Pickett finished with 10 to give Elms five players in double digits. Youngblood was 3 of 8 from three-point range, while Donohue hit on 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and finished with nine points.

Elms shot 46.8-percent from the field and 50-percent from three-point range, while Bay Path hit 40-percent of its shots.

Kayla Skiffington (East Longmeadow, Mass.) was 7 for 17 and Brittney Alexander (Enfield, Conn.) hit 7 of 16 shots as both Wildcats' totaled a team-high 16 points in the losing effort. Skiffington added nine rebounds and four assists, while Justine Hook (Berwick, Pa.) and Katherine Chabot (Brookfield, Mass.) dished out five helpers each.

Toni Alexander (Enfield, Conn.) and Gladys Reed (Hampden, Conn.) contributed nine points each and Reed chipped in eight boards in the losing effort.

Elms returns to NECC action on Thursday, Jan. 31 when it travels to Southern Vermont College for a 6:00 p.m. contest.