PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A close, Tuesday night Great Northeast Athletic Conference game, where neither team led by as many as seven, fell in favor of the Johnson & Wales Wildcats, as they picked up a 68-61 win over the Emmanuel Saints at the Wildcats Center. The Wildcats win is their first over the Saints in nearly eight years, having lost seven straight to Emmanuel entering Tuesday's play. Johnson & Wales improves to 11-1 (2-0 GNAC) while Emmanuel goes to 5-6 (0-1 GNAC).
After a 10-8 first quarter where the Saints and Wildcats combined for seven made field goals, the offense picked up on both sides, including a second quarter of 10-for-14 shooting by JWU. The Wildcats opened the second quarter on a 12-4 run before the Saints erased the six-point deficit, responding with a 12-4 run of their own, as five different Saints scored in the surge that gave Emmanuel a 26-24 lead. The Wildcats would eventually take over and hold a 32-30 lead at the break.
Trading buckets to a 37-37 tie, the Saints used a 10-3 scoring surge to take their largest lead of the evening, 44-37. Senior
Desiree Robinson scored four points in the run, putting Emmanuel ahead by seven. That seven-point edge lasted all of 1:39 as the next seven points went to the Wildcats, tying Tuesday's battle at 44-44. As the final 3:21 of the third ticked away, the two sides traded baskets to a 50-50 game entering the final frame.
Despite the Saints leading for the majority of the fourth quarter, it was the final 2:01 that would make all the difference for the Wildcats in Tuesday's win. JWU trailed by three in the final two minutes, but their 10-0 run to end the game would give them their first win over the Saints since Jan. 8, 2017.
Back-to-back jumpers by first-years
Isabella Suero and
Grace Jaffray started the late-game run. A Saints turnover in the final minute would set up a pair of free throws for Suero, expanding the lead to 64-61. Following a Saints miss with 11 seconds, more free throws for Suero put the game out of reach while Jaffray made an appearance at the charity stripe with 7.2 seconds remaining, hitting both shots, leading to the eventual 68-61 final.
Suero finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with five assists in 37 minutes. First-year
Brianne Foley added 17 points and 10 rebounds in a full 40 minutes. Jaffray ended the night with nine points and seven rebounds in the win.
Despite four Saints finishing in double figures, Emmanuel drops their conference opener for the first time since 2022. Robinson finished with a team-high 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Junior
Megan Reilly finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes. Fellow junior
Tiffany Fischer and first-year
Lia Krumian equaled Reilly's output, as the pair each scored 11 points, including Fischer's 3-of-6 night from beyond the arc.
The Saints come home for GNAC play on Thursday, Jan. 9, as they host River at 7:00 p.m. on Yosinoff Court. The Wildcats travel to Mitchell on Saturday, Jan. 11, for a 1:00 p.m. tip with the Mariners.