BOSTON - The Emmanuel College women's basketball team knocked off league-leading Saint Joseph (Conn.), 78-67, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action Tuesday night on Andy Yosinoff Court. A decisive 8-0 run late in the game sealed the win, delivering the Blue Jays their first conference loss and dropping them to 10-6 overall and 5-1 in GNAC play. The Saints improved to 7-9 on the season and 2-3 in conference action.

The Saints and Blue Jays went back and forth in the first quarter, with neither team gaining more than a four-point edge. Despite the Saints shooting a stellar 65% from the field, the score was tied at 18 after the opening 10 minutes.

Midway through the second quarter, back-to-back layups by the Blue Jays put the Saints behind 30-26, prompting an Andy Yosinoff timeout. Emmanuel responded with purpose, reclaiming the lead with a 7-0 run, capped off by an Olivia Matela three-pointer. Emmanuel held the lead as the halftime horn sounded, 38-34.

The Saints opened the second half strong, extending their lead to nine with a Desiree Robinson layup at the 6:10 mark. However, Saint Joseph refused to go down quietly, responding with an 11-2 run over the next five minutes to erase the Emmanuel lead and knot the contest at 50. A free throw by Maya Slisz in the final seconds of the quarter gave the visitors a 53-32 edge heading into the fourth. 

Jelly Frigo's bucket in the lane to start the fourth gave the Blue Jays a 55-52 edge, but Matela and Lia Krumian fired back with consecutive threes to put the Saints back on top. Trailing 64-63 with under three minutes left, Emmanuel sparked an 8-0 run to gain control. Saint Joseph cut the gap to four with 44 seconds to play, but clutch Saints free throw shooting in the final moments led to another 7-0 burst and locked in a crucial 78-67 GNAC victory.

Kaitlyn Bartash led Emmanuel with a standout performance, finishing with 14 points, a career-high seven blocks, five rebounds, and two steals. Matela, Krumian, and Robinson each added 12 points to propel the Saints' victory. For Saint Joseph, Jordan Ouellette led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

Up next, the Blue Jays will continue their two-game GNAC road swing with a matchup at Regis on Saturday (1/25) at 1:00 PM. Emmanuel will travel to New London, Conn. for a conference tilt with Mitchell on Saturday at 3:00 PM.