BOSTON - Saints Women's Basketball (2-0) picked up their second victory in as many games, defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2-1), 68-54, in the EC Tip-Off Classic championship game on
Andy Yosinoff Court Sunday afternoon. An extended run throughout the second quarter gave Emmanuel a comfortable advantage that they were able to hold onto in the second half to secure the victory.
Kaitlyn Bartash opened the scoring for the Saints with a layup just over a minute into the game. Emmanuel held the lead for most of the first quarter, but a three-pointer and two free throws by the Athenas in the final 90 seconds tied the game at 12 after the first 10 minutes.
The Saints ignited their run with 3:28 remaining in the quarter when
Kalia Saunders drained a three-pointer to give Emmanuel a 20-16 lead. The home team was in control for the remainder of the frame, scoring the final 13 points to take a commanding 30-16 advantage into halftime.
Following an
Olivia Matela three-pointer less than three minutes into the half, the Saints opened up their largest lead of the contest at 37-19. A basket from beyond the arc for the Athenas'
Renee Chong as the the buzzer sounded cut the Emmanuel edge to 14 at 49-35 as the two sides headed into the final frame.
A quick 7-0 run by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps early in the fourth quarter brought the Saints' lead down to single digits, but the visitors never came closer than six points. Emmanuel sealed their second win of the season and claimed the EC Tip-Off Classic title with 11 made free throws in the final ten minutes, securing a 68-54 victory.
Emmanuel was led by three players in double figures with both
Paris Atuahene and
Olivia Matela going for 15 points and
Megan Reilly adding 14. Reilly also contributed a game-high eight rebounds in the victory. The Athenas were led by Chong, who tallied 21 points on 8/17 shooting in the loss.
Up next, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps flies back to California for a matchup with George Fox on Friday (11/22) at 6 PM. Emmanuel returns to
Andy Yosinoff Court on Tuesday (11/19) night for a 7 PM non-conference contest with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.