Bristol, RI – The Emmanuel College women's basketball team battled throughout but couldn't overcome a second-quarter deficit, falling to Roger Williams University on Saturday afternoon, 59-54.
Emmanuel (9-5, 2-0 Great Northeast) held an early lead but was outscored 18-8 in the second quarter, creating a deficit the Saints couldn't fully erase despite a fourth-quarter rally.
Senior guard Lia Krumian paced the Saints with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including three triples. Krumian also contributed five rebounds and two steals while playing a team-high 38 minutes. Her scoring punch kept Emmanuel within striking distance throughout the second half.
Emmanuel started strong, opening the game with a 5-2 run capped by a Bryant three-pointer. The Saints extended their advantage to 16-11 after the first quarter behind balanced scoring and aggressive transition play.
The second quarter proved costly, however, as Roger Williams surged ahead with a 18-8 run. The Hawks capitalized on Emmanuel turnovers and shot 58.3% from the field in the period, building a 29-24 halftime lead.
Emmanuel struggled to find offensive rhythm in the third quarter, shooting just 5-of-22 (22.7%) from the field as Roger Williams extended its lead to as many as 14 points at 38-24.
The Saints showed resilience in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to three points on multiple occasions. Krumian knocked down a clutch three-pointer with 4:03 remaining to make it 46-53, and Bryant's late free throws brought Emmanuel within 51-56 with 38 seconds left.
Despite the late pressure, Roger Williams made enough free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Kalia Saunders provided a spark off the bench with 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds. The forward shot 4-of-9 from the field and added three steals in 24 productive minutes.
Geanna Bryant added nine points with six rebounds and three assists, while freshman Nylah Mitchell chipped in seven points and five boards off the bench.
Emmanuel shot 26.8% from the field (19-of-71) and struggled from beyond the arc at 21.7% (5-of-23). The Saints converted 73.3% (11-of-15) at the free-throw line.
Emmanuel dominated points off turnovers 26-8 and second-chance points 16-13, but the shooting woes proved too difficult to overcome. The Saints' bench contributed 27 points to the effort.
Up Next
Emmanuel returns home looking to bounce back from the road setback and maintain its perfect conference record when it hosts Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. on Andy Yosinoff Court.