Women’s Basketball Tops Newbury College, 67-43

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Elms College freshman guard Marissa Merrill (Meredith, N.H.) scored a game-high and collegiate-career best 20 points to help spark the Blazers to a 67-43 victory over Newbury College in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball game in Brookline, Mass.

With the win, Elms improves to 4-2 overall (3-0 NECC) with its fourth straight victory, while Newbury slides to 1-7 overall, 1-2 in NECC action.

Elms built a strong 33-24 lead at intermission behind a 16-point effort from Merrill and 10 points from junior forward JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.). The Blazers shot 42.4-percent from the field led by Merrill's 6 for 6 showing and led by as many as 14 when junior forward Gianna Youngblood (East Freetown, Mass.) swished a trey at the 6:49 mark to set the score at 27-13.

Newbury answered with a 9-0 run highlighted by seven points from Alex Pezzella (Rockland, Mass.) including a three-pointer to pull the Nighthawks to within five at 27-22 with 3:51 to play in the stanza. Elms closed out the half scoring six of the final eight points capped by a Merrill triple to give the Blazers a 33-24 lead at intermission.

Pezzella led Newbury at the break with 12 points on the strength of a 6 for 6 effort from the free throw line.

Elms continued to apply pressure in the second half led by a 15-point effort from junior forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) in the frame. Parks finished with 17 points and hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds including 13 in the second half.

After the Nighthawks' Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) made a layup to cut Elms' advantage to 50-36 at the 7:45 mark, Newbury was held scoreless over the next 5:11 as the Blazers built their lead to as many as 29 points (65-36) following a layup by Parks with 2:34 remaining in the contest.

Katelyn Roeser (Nashua, N.H.) broke the scoring drought with a layup and a free throw after being fouled on the shot and Kwanasia Fredericks (Harlem, N.Y.) added a layup of her own to set the score at 65-41 with 1:38 to play. Baskets by Blazers' freshman forward Kayla Patrick (Bronx, N.Y.) and Newbury's Claudia Leconte (Framingham, Mass.) set the final score at 67-43 in favor of Elms.

Pickett finished with 12 points behind Merrill's 20 and Parks' 17, and pulled down 14 rebounds including 13 in the second half. Youngblood finished with seven points in the winning effort, while Parks totaled three blocks and sophomore guard Jenna Oyler (Metuchen, N.J.) dished out three assists off the bench.

Newbury received 12 points each from Pezzella and Roeser, and eight points in reserve from Amanda McKenzie (Bridgeport, Conn.) in the losing effort.

Elms out-rebounded the Nighthawks, 62-33 and Newbury finished the game shooting just 22.2-percent from the floor.

Elms returns to non-league action on Saturday, December 14 when it hosts Anna Maria College at 1:00 p.m. at Picknelly Arena.