Worcester, Mass - The Emmanuel College Women's Basketball team picked up their second straight win on Saturday afternoon, handling Clark University 78-65. The Saints (5-3) were led by a stellar shooting performance from Junior guard Geanna Bryant, who went 5-of-6 from behind the arc, and yet another 20+ point performance from Sophomore forward Tyra Blye.
 
The first frame was an excellent display of offense from the Saints, as they scored on all three levels, highlighted by a flurry of buckets from Bryant, ending in a three pointer to give her 11 quick points and the team a 17-10 advantage over Clark (6-3). The lead kept growing later in the period, as a jumper from Blye gave Emmanuel their biggest advantage at 24-12 with just over 30 seconds remaining in the quarter. Bryant and Junior center Kaitlin Bartash led the way early on combining for 19 of the team's 24 points in the opening frame.
 
A layup from first year guard Shea Canavan at the seven-minute mark of the second quarter extended the lead and the Saints were rolling, holding a 30-15 advantage, but water eventually found its level for Emmanuel in the second period, as the shots wouldn't fall, shooting just 25% in the quarter.
 
The cougars found themselves slowly creeping back into the match, primarily coming from the charity stripe (6-10 ft's). It was a 15-2 run from Clark that spanned the majority of the second period, finished off with a layup by Karilyn Perez-Guerrero off a Cyriah Coleman dime to cut the Saints lead to two at 32-30. A much-needed jump shot from Blye ended up being the last bucket of the half, giving Emmanuel a three point advantage (34-31) as the teams headed for the locker room.
 
The third quarter featured a more balanced effort from both sides, as they were trading baskets early on, with the teams separated by only one (40-39) with six minutes remaining. That is when Canavan caught fire once again, going on an 8-1 run by herself, featuring two threes and a clean jumper off a Blye assist to give the Saints some breathing room at 48-40. The squad was able to regain a double digit advantage off a Bryant three pointer, at 56-44, but a quick 9-3 run from the Cougars drew them to within six, and in striking distance before the final frame, 59-53.
 
The back and forth affair continued into the fourth, featuring some scrappy play and a handful of fouls, with neither side able to distance themselves. That was the case until Bryant buried a three-pointer off a Lia Krumian assist to give the Saints an eight-point advantage at 68-60 with 4:30 to go. The Saints received a bit of a scare when Bryant recorded her fourth personal foul with three minutes to play, but stout defense and excellent free throw shooting (9-12 in the fourth) allowed Emmanuel to run away with the victory, 78-65.

Women's Basketball will get a break before they head down to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a couple games over the break. The first of two games in the sunshine state will be against Central College, with an 11:00 AM tipoff on December 17th.