Women’s Basketball Falls to Regis College, 59-33 in NECC Championship Title Game

WESTON, Mass. – Elms College sophomore forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) scored a team-high 12 points and pulled down 12 boards, but top-ranked Regis College posted a 59-33 victory over the second-seeded Blazers in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship tournament title game in Weston, Mass.  

With the loss, Elms moves to 17-11 overall and awaits a possible at-large bid to a postseason tournament.  Regis improves to 23-4 on the season and receives the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championship, with brackets being announced on Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

The Pride was led by tournament MVP Sabree Rodriguez (Brockton, Mass.) who posted a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Regis wasted little time at the start of the game, jumping out to a quick 8-2 lead. But back-to-back points by all-tournament team member Parks, helped the Blazers cut the lead to two with 14:45 remaining in the opening half. The Pride responded with an impressive 19-4 run down the stretch to take a commanding 27-10 lead with just over two minutes left.

The run was led by a balanced attack, with five different players recording points, including seven from Emilee Marro (Bedford, N.H.) and four each from Monet Lowe (Framingham, Mass.) and Rodriguez. Marro ended the half with a team-high 10 points to lead all scorers. Elms closed out the half with a 4-0 run of their own, making the game 27-14 at halftime.

A three-pointer by Elm's junior guard Ellen Donahue (Southington, Conn.) and a jumper by Parks cut the deficit to 29-19 at the start of the second frame.

Regis responded by going on a 19-6 run over the span of the next 10 minutes of the half to take a 48-25 lead at the 6:56 mark. That run was highlighted by Rodriguez, who scored seven of her 12 points of the half during that stretch, and Lauren Kimble (Concord, Calif.), who knocked down back-to-back treys for the Pride.

Parks and senior guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) combined for Elms' next eight points, but it was not enough as Regis pulled away to its 59-33 victory.

Marro was instrumental in the win for the Pride, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 10 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.

The sophomore guard was rewarded for her efforts by being named to the all-tournament team with Parks, Rodriguez, sophomore forward JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.), as well as Becker College's Haley Ooms (Valatie, N.Y.) and Daniel Webster College's Vanessa Bosques (Windham, Conn.).