Feb. 4, 2009
Box Score
BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Women's Basketball Team topped the visiting Cardinals of Wesleyan University, 66-55, in non-conference action played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Wednesday night. With the win, the Saints improve to 15-6 on the year, while Wesleyan drops to 10-9 overall. Emmanuel's starting backcourt of sophomore Kristin LeBel (Tolland, Conn.) and junior Iman Davis (Toms River, N.J.) combined for 44 of the Saints' 66 points in the win.
Two quick hoops by Emmanuel's junior captain Abby Brenkach (Germantown, N.Y.) put the Saints on the board early and allowed Emmanuel to apply their full-court pressure. Wesleyan picked apart the Saints' press early, as the Cardinals found Lucy Sprung (Wilmington, Vt.) for three-straight fast-break buckets in the opening 3:00 of the game and led 6-4.
The visitors led for the majority of the first half, but the Saints stayed no more than 5 points away throughout the period. An Emmanuel lay-up by freshman forward Liz Brooks (Charlton, Mass.) forged the seventh tie of the ballgame at 27-27 with 4:52 remaining in the half. A subsequent foul and two follow-up free-throws by Sprung put the Cardinals up 29-27, where the score would remain for the next three minutes.
Wesleyan's senior forward Ali Fourney (East Northport, N.Y.), who entered tonight's game just 12 points shy of Cardinals' all-time scoring record, drained a tri-fecta with 1:42 on the clock to give Wesleyan a three point lead, 30-27. A lay-up by sophomore point guard Casey Shevlin (Medford, N.Y.) brought Emmanuel to within a point, 30-29, heading into the locker room.
The Saints shot a decent 46.4% (13-28) in the first half. Emmanuel was led by LeBel's 10 first-half-points, including two three-balls. Sprung led the Cardinals in the opening frame with 11 points on 4 for 9 shooting. Wesleyan out-rebounded Emmanuel, 23-16, and scored 10 points off the fast-break in the first half.
Out of the break, Shevlin drilled a dagger from deep to put the Saints up 32-30 to open the second half. Emmanuel went on a 10-4 run over the next five minutes, which gave the Saints a 42-34 lead with 15:14 on the clock. The Cardinals had no answer for Davis, who sliced to the basket time and time again, scoring 15 of her 22 points in the second half.
After a Davis lay-up with 8:35 to play, Emmanuel took its largest lead of the game, 55-39. The Saints never looked back and held a solid double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.
Davis, who was named last week's ECAC New England Division III Player of the Week, finished with 22 points. She hit an incredible 10 of her 12 shots from the floor, hauled in a team-high 10 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. LeBel also dropped 22 points, hitting four of her eight attempts from behind the arc. Brooks chipped in with 6 points and 7 boards, while Shevlin dished out 5 assists in the win.
Fourney scored her 12th point of the game and tied the Wesleyan record with 7:49 remaining in the contest. The record-breaker came on a deep three-pointer with 5:17 on the clock. She finished with a team-high 18 points and now has a career total of 1,422 points as Wesleyan's all-time leading scorer.
Sprung netted 11 points for the Cardinals. Senior forward Meredith Lowe (Philadelphia, Pa.) chipped in with 10 points and 6 rebounds, while sophomore guard Erin Gold (New Hope, Pa.) gathered a team-high 11 boards in the effort.
Emmanuel will take the weekend off and return to action next Wednesday night (2/11), when the Saints travel across town to take on the Lions of Emerson College in a 7pm start. Wesleyan will play on Saturday (2/7) at Connecticut College in a 2pm tip.
