Boston, Mass. - The Emmanuel College women's basketball team picked up a much needed win on Thursday night, edging out Emerson College, 72-69, on Andy Yosinoff Court. The Saints (4-3) surge was sparked by the hot shooting from first-year guard Shea Canavan, who scored a career-high 19 points and five three pointers made. 

The first frame was a sprint, with both teams getting off to a hot start. Emerson (5-3) captured the early lead but Emmanuel sophomore forward Tyra Blye sparked the Saints early with eight-straight points, including a fast break layup, to cut the Lions' lead to one, 11-10. Emmanuel held a one-point lead at the end of the first period, 17-16, as a result of solid defense and Canavan checking in to score her first four points of the game.

The Lions jumped out quickly in the second to hold a slight four point advantage, led by senior guard Bri Frongillo, but a quick 9-0 run highlighted by a Canavan three from the right wing quickly swung the momentum back the Saints' way. Emmanuel battled hard but Emerson scored nine unanswered points to end the half, including an and-one layup by the Lions' Jessie Silk, and had their biggest lead of the night, 39-32, heading into the locker room.

Both squads traded points in the third period, with Emerson's advantaged staying in single digits. With 3:12 left in the quarter, Eliana Jackson made a hustle play, causing a Lions' turnover, pushing a fast break opportunity and grabbing an offensive board for a second chance play where first year guard Kendyl Ouimette buried a triple to cut the lead down to two, 49-47. The Lions were not going away, as their steady behind-the-arc attack struck again late in the third, when a post up led to a wide open corner three from Emerson guard Kendra Dodd, bringing the advantage back to six, 55-49.

Emmanuel came out swinging in the final stretch, with Blye pacing the Saints again with a pull-up jumper to kick off the action, cutting the deficit to three. A Canavan three tied this one up at 62 with just under four minutes to play. Canavan would be the answer again when with 1:50 to play she relocated to the corner and buried a contested three to give the team a 67-66 lead.

With the game tied at 67 and just about a minute to play, the Lions made a fatal mistake, going under the screen on a Canavan pick and roll and she made them pay once again, hitting her deepest three of the night, letting out a roar that the crowd matched. Crucial free throws down the stretch from center Kaitlin Bartash and a steal on the inbound of Emerson's final effort secured a much needed win for the Saints, 72-69.

Of Note:
? First year guard Shea Canavan poured in a career-high 19 points and five three-pointers (5-of-6 3PT)
? Sophomore Tyra Blye paced the Saints with 20 points and four steals.
? Emmanuel made 6-of-7 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter
? The Saints recorded their first win over Emerson since 2021.

Next Up
The Saints will look to keep the momentum rolling on Saturday when they travel to Worcester for a date with Clark University. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.