LA VERNE, Calif. - With their highest scoring output of the season, Emmanuel women's basketball swept their two-game trip to California, taking down the University of La Verne Leopards on Monday night, 80-57, at the La Verne Sports Science Athletic Pavillion. The Saints improve to 5-5 with the win while the Leopards fall to 3-8 to finish the 2024 portion of their schedule.
The Saints led wire-to-wire on Monday, starting the game with the first six points in the opening 1:45. The Saints run would continue as they led by as many as 15 in the opening quarter. In all, the Saints shot 56.3 percent from the floor in the opening 10 minutes, including 3-for-7 from beyond the arc, to start with a 21-10 lead through a quarter.
After falling behind by 13 early in the second, the Leopards made a move through the middle of the quarter, using an 11-2 run over a 3:10 span, cutting the deficit to four. But Emmanuel steadied the momentum and outscored La Verne but five in the final minutes to hold a 38-29 lead at the break.
It was another quick start for the Saints to start the third quarter, as an 8-2 start put the visitors ahead by double-digits. The Saints would hold that double-digit advantage through the rest of the game, including their biggest lead by as many as 30, as a second half of 54.8 percent shooting helped the Saints to their 80-56 win.
Senior
Paris Atuahene scored a season-high 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three-point distance, in the win. Grad guard
Olivia Matela added 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting while Junior
Megan Reilly chipped in with 10 points. As a team, the Saints shot a season-best 51.6 percent, making 33 field goals and eight three-pointers, also season-bests.
Leopards senior
Annie Trinh finished with a game-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds. Sophomore
Jossy Calizo added 11 points in 27 minutes off the bench.
The Saints come back to campus and return to action with their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 6:00 p.m. at Johnson & Wales. The Leopards finish a four-game homestand, hosting the University of Redlands on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7:00 PST.