EMMANUEL DOWNS OHIO WESLEYAN 61-48 TO CAPTURE SAINTS INVITATIONAL
BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College defeated Ohio Wesleyan University, 61-48, in the championship game of the 30th Annual EC Invitational Women’s Basketball Tournament. EC improves to 2-0 on the year and has now captured the tournament championship each of the past two years. OWU falls to 1-1 on the year. This was the first time the two programs had faced off since the 2001 NCAA Division III Final Four, when the Battling Bishops defeated the Saints, 70-64.
BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College defeated Ohio Wesleyan University, 61-48, in the championship game of the 30th Annual EC Invitational Women's Basketball Tournament. EC improves to 2-0 on the year and has now captured the tournament championship each of the past two years. OWU falls to 1-1 on the year. This was the first time the two programs had faced off since the 2001 NCAA Division III Final Four, when the Battling Bishops defeated the Saints, 70-64.
OWU opened the action with three-pointers from Sarah McQuade (Dublin, Ohio) and Hannah Fedorka (North Canton, Ohio), while Emmanuel's Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) knocked down a pair of jumpers in the paint, as the Battling Bishops led, 11-6, at the fifteen minute mark.
Emmanuel struggled in its offensive sets, turning the ball over 7 times in the opening five minutes. The Saints would make a run with Bujnowski and Liz Daley (Sharon, Mass.) scoring in transition, as Emmanuel notched its first lead of the game at 12-11. After being held scoreless in yesterday's season opener, Bujnowski accounted for eight of the Saints' first ten points of the game.
Bishops sophomore Emily Julius (Avon, Ohio) scored on the break and Devin Rauh (Collegeville, Pa.) converted an and-one for the Saints at the opposite end, as Emmanuel led 18-15 with eight minutes to go in the half.
Saints junior guard Britni Mikulanecz (Portland, Me.) found Lena Negri (Arlington, Va.) open on the break and Daley drained one from long-range, forcing a Bishops' timeout with OWU trailing, 25-15 and 5:42 on the clock.
The Bishops were able to bring the spread back into single-digits before the break, after a hoop in the paint and a three-ball on consecutive possessions from Caroline Welker (Delaware, Ohio). Emmanuel carried a 31-25 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Bujnowski led all scorers at the break with 10 points and 4 rebounds. Fedorka led the Bishops with 7 first-half points off of 3 for 5 shooting.
EC opened the second half on an 8-0 spurt capped by a jumper from the top of the key by junior forward Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) to extend the Saints lead to 39-25. The Bishops responded with a 5-0 run of their own as sophomore guard Kelly Still (New Orleans, La.) cut the lead back to single digits with a layup to make it 39-30 with 15:50 left in the action.
Following three minutes of scoreless play for the Saints, junior forward Jasmine Burwell (Brentwood, N.J.) converted a pair of free throws to put Emmanuel back on top by double figures at 41-31 with under 14 minutes remaining.
A Burwell layup around the nine minute mark increased Emmanuel's lead to 49-35 before Mikulanecz converted an old fashioned three-point play on the next possession to make it 52-35 with 8:30 to play.
A put back layup by OWU junior forward LaNiece McRae (Youngstown, Ohio) cut the Emmanuel lead to 59-46 with less than three to play but it was the closest the Bishops would get as EC held on for a 61-48 victory.
Bujnowski finished with a team-high 14 points while Negri chipped in with 10.
McRae led OWU with 14 points.
Emmanuel returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Eastern CT State University for a non-conference tilt at 7:00 PM.
All-Tournament Team
MVP - Britni Mikulanecz – Emmanuel College
Jasmine Burwell - Emmanuel College
Lena Negri - Emmanuel College
Emily Julius - Ohio Wesleyan University
Sarah McQuade - Ohio Wesleyan University
Lauren Quattrocchi – St. Lawrence University