St. Joseph Outlasts Women's Basketball

Kaleigh Anderson (@KaleighAnd1)

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College women's basketball team fell to the visiting University of St. Joseph Blue Jays, 76-64, in non-conference action Wednesday evening at Picknelly Arena. With the loss, the Blazers fall to 4-5 on the season, while the Blue Jays rise to 5-5 overall.

As the first quarter of action began both teams took some time getting into a rhythm as the first minute saw back to back scoreless efforts. The Blazers cracked the scoreboard first as freshmen Molly Moulton (North Adams, Mass.) found a bucket off the glass. USJ junior Kayla Guest (Newington, Conn.) retaliated for the Blue Jays nailing a jumper from the outside to tie the score. Back and forth action would ensue with junior Mackenzie LaRochelle (Chicopee, Mass.) leading the Blazers in the quarter posting six points. Guest secured nine points for St. Joseph as they entered the second holding down a 20-14 advantage over the Blazers.

Elms once again produced first in the quarter with LaRochelle connecting for two five seconds into the period. From there both teams would produce back-to-back runs with the Blue Jays outscoring the Blazers by four in the quarter as they captured 22 points to Elms 16. Sophomore Kayla Aberdale (Housatonic, Mass.) came in hot off the bench to post the first three of the contest at the 5:33 mark to keep the lead within reach for the Blazers. Marques posted six points in the paint to aid in the effort. Junior Rajeen Mayo (Middletown, Conn.) would go on to close out the scoring column for St. Joseph as she captured a last chance layup with five seconds remaining sending the Blue Jays into the locker room holding a 42-30 scoreboard.

Tensions were high at the start of the third as senior Elisha Pertillar (Windsor, Conn.) netted the first basket of the quarter at the 9:41 marker to keep the Blue Jays advantage. Elms senior Emily Burr (East Hartford, Conn.) capitalized at the charity stripe to trim the deficit to 44-31. Moulton was steady at the stripe going 4-for-4 for the Blazers, while eventually registering a 6-for-6 mark on the evening. Marques continued to ignite the Elms flame as she posted six points alongside three steals. Despite Blazer efforts Elms would head into the fourth trailing by 13.

The Blazers came out hot in the paint as they captured 14 points from the inside throughout the quarter, the first off the hands of Sophomore Chaniah Pantry (New Haven, Conn.) at the 9:17 marker after a Marques steal enabled the play off the glass. Pantry would tally seven points throughout the fourth to aid in the scoring efforts for the Blazers. Mayo proved to be a dominate force for the Blue Jays offense as she totaled a game high 20 points to tie with Marques in the scoring column. Senior Carlee Putnam (Niantic, Conn.) also proved to be a power for St. Joseph as she tallied six points throughout the quarter to send the Blue Jays away with a 76-64 victory.

The Blazers were paced by Marques behind her fourth double-double of the season, totaling a tied game-high 20 points, going 9-for-15 on the floor, with a game high 17 rebounds, five steals, and four blocks. Mackenzie LaRochelle totaled 15 points in the effort with four rebounds on the evening. Moulton recorded 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Aberdale logged seven points and five rebounds off the bench.

Mayo powered the Blue Jays with a tied game-high 20 points, shooting 7-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the foul line, with five assists and four rebounds. Senior Carlee Putnam (Niantic, Conn.) added 16 points with three rebounds, and Guest came two rebounds shy of a double-double with 14 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Charlotte Eberhardt (Thomaston, Conn.) netted 11 points off the bench in the win.

Elms edged St. Joseph in the rebounding column, 47-38. The Blazers connected on 34.9% from the field (22-63), including 14.3 % from the three-point line (1-7), and 55.9% from the foul line (19-34). St Joseph shot 49.2% from the floor (29-59), 50.0% from three point range (1-2), and 65.4 % from the charity stripe (17-26).

The Blazers will host Wheelock for in a New England Collegiate Conference tilt Saturday, January 7^th at 1:00 p.m. The Blue Jays will host Suffolk University January 7^th for a 1:00p.m tip

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