Miami Gardens, FL - The Emmanuel women's basketball team picked up their first win of the Cruzin Classic in Fort Lauderdale Florida, beating Central College to notch the team's third straight victory overall. A strong second half, and a flurry of steals propelled the team past the Dutch (6-4) after a slow first half had the Saints (6-3) down by as much as 10.

The morning tipoff didn't have too much of an effect on the Saints early on, as they jumped out to a 6-0 advantage just under three minutes in after a layup by senior forward Megan Reilly. That layup proved to be a bit of foreshadowing for the team, as over half the team's points (32) would come from the paint. Unfortunately, the Saints went ice cold the rest of the first frame, only tacking on two more points, and facing a seven point deficit, 15-8, at the end of one.

The second quarter featured more of the same from the Saints, as they once again shot under 30% from the field. This resulted in Emmanuel facing their biggest deficit of the game, going down 23-13 with just under two minutes to play in the half. Despite the poor shooting, stellar defense and active hands resulting in four steals in the quarter kept the team within striking distance, heading into the locker room facing a 23-17 deficit.

The intensity turned up as soon as the ball was put in play in the second half for the Saints, as a quick 9-3 spurt brought the team to within one at 26-25. This run was highlighted by a Lia Krumian steal that turned into a quick fastbreak layup from sophomore guard Tyra Blye, two of her team-high 15 points on the day. The rest of the period remained tight, as both teams found some offensive rhythm. Emmanuel finally hopped back out in front for the first time since halfway through the 1st after a Shea Canavan steal turned into yet another fast break finish, this time by first year guard Kendyl Ouimette to give the team a 35-33 advantage.

The Dutch were never able to regain the lead after that, as the Saints saw an opportunity to pull away early in the fourth and they did not let it pass by. With 7:49 remaining, Canavan hit the team's only three pointer of the day to bring the lead to 10. With Central growing cold late in the fourth, the Saints just needed some makes from the charity stripe down the stretch to secure the win. They got just that, as junior guard Geanna Bryant and Krumian went a combined 5-6 from the line to polish off the 53-45 victory.

The 2025 Cruzin Classic continues for the Saints on Friday at 6:00 PM, as they will look to pick up a massive ranked win over #12 Bates College.