Women's Basketball Preview: Anna Maria

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College women's basketball team will look to record their first victory of the season as they travel to Anna Maria College for a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

The Blazers enter the matchup with an 0-3 record after battling Bridgewater State to a 71-64 overtime loss in their home opener Wednesday evening. Elms is generating 61.7 points per game while shooting 31.5% from the field, and 32.4% from three-point range. Defensively, opponents are scoring 70.7 points against the Blazers, shooting 39.6% from the field and 28.8% from three-point.

Senior forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) paces the Blazers offensively with a team-high 21 points per game, connecting 29.8% from the floor and 75% from the foul line, with a team-high 12.5 rebounds and three steals. Senior guard Gianna Youngblood (Lakeville, Mass.) is tallying 14.3 points a game, providng a deep-threat for Elms with a 43.8% mark from three-point, with six rebounds. Sophomore guard Emily Burr (East Hartford, Conn.) is adding 8.7 points, while junior guard Mariah Brown (Windsor Locks, Conn.) is chipping in 7.7 points with a team-high 5.3 assists.

Anna Maria owns a 2-1 record on the season, coming off 61-26 victory over fellow New England Collegiate Conference school Becker College. The Amcats are producing 61.3 points a game, while limiting opponents to just 41.7 points.

Senior forward Trafficia Warburton (Worcester, Mass.) is the focal point of the Amcats offense, averaging a double-double per contest with 22.3 points and 13.7 rebounds. Warburton is shooting 50.9% from the field and 73.3% from the foul line. Junior forward Lindsay Bond (Webster, Mass.) is contributing 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds, while sophomore guard Deja Taitt (Jamaica, N.Y.) is Anna Maria's leading distributor with 4.7 assists along with seven points and six rebounds per game.

Over the history of the matchup, Elms holds a 7-3 advantage over the Amcats in their 10 career meetings. Anna Maria won the first two meetings between the schools, followed by a seven-game win streak by the Blazers. The Amcats snapped the Blazers streak with a 72-49 win last season.

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