SAINTS TOP JWU 68-59 IN PLAY-4-KAY GAME

BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College rolled to a 68-59 win over Johnson & Wales University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball game played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Wednesday evening.  The Saints' final regular season home contest was a Play-4-Kay game.  Players, coaches and event staff wore pink and the three officials blew pink whistles in support of breast cancer awareness.  The contest was one of hundreds of Play-4-Kay events taking place nationwide this week.

The win set Emmanuel's overall record at 18-6 and the Saints remain undefeated in conference play at 10-0.  JWU dropped to 8-16 on the season and 5-5 in GNAC action with the loss.

JWU led by as many as seven points in the first half and held a two-point lead at the break, but Emmanuel put together a 38-point second-half to cruise to the victory.

The Wildcats jumped out to a quick 8-4 lead after hoops by Valerie Arce (Providence, R.I.) and Jenna Juron (Burnt Hills, N.Y.).  Junior forward Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) gave the Saints their first lead at 9-8 after a three-pointer from the top of the key.  The lead swung back to the visitors again after a hoop from D'Ana Rolle (Gardner, Mass.) and JWU led 14-13 approaching the ten-minute mark.

JWU junior Natalie DiCocco (Media Pa.) stuck a baseline trey and Arce scored in the paint, before DiCocco sunk her second three-ball, forcing an Emmanuel timeout with the Saints trailing 22-15 and nine minutes to go in the half.

An and-one by Lena Negri (Arlington, Va.) brought the Saints back to within four at 26-22 with 5:15 left in the first half.  Negri scored again in the paint to cut it to two and then posted up for two more before the clock expired and the Saints trailed, 32-30, at the break.

Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) led the Saints at the half with 10 points.  Arce led the Wildcats with 10 points and 4 rebounds, while Dicocco added 8.  The Saints committed 15 first-half turnovers, but led JWU on the glass, 18-14.

Freshman Sarah Schemerhorn (Los Angeles, Calif.) scored immediately out of the break and tied the game at 32-all.  Sophomore guard Sarah Higgins (Groveland, Mass.) then connected on an and-one to give the Saints their first lead of the second frame.  The hosts continued to streak and a put-back by Negri gave Emmanuel its first double-figure lead at 50-40, approaching the twelve-minute mark.

With ten minutes remaining, the Saints had built a 58-41 margin, following a lay-up by Bramante.  The hosts would extend their advantage to as many as 19 points with 5:37 to go, but the Wildcats managed a 14-4 run to close out the contest with the nine point loss.

Negri led a quartet of double-figure scorers for the Saints with her 14 points and 5 rebounds.  Bujnowski finished with 12, while Bramante and Higgins hit for 11 apiece and combined for 13 boards.  Junior guard Britni Mikulanecz (Portland, Me.) dished out eight assists in the win.

Rolle led the Wildcats with 15 points, coming off of 6-8 shooting.  She also dished out eight assists and hauled in six rebounds for a solid stat line.  Arce and Dicocco chipped in with 14 and 10 points, respectively, in the effort for JWU.

Emmanuel will play its final regular season game on Saturday, when the Saints travel to New Haven, Connecticut for a 1:00 PM start with Albertus Magnus College.  JWU will also wrap up the regular season on Saturday, when the Wildcats travel to West Hartford, Connecticut for a match-up with the University of Saint Joseph.