SAINTS CRUISE PAST MOUNT ST. MARY IN EC INVITATIONAL, 62-43

BOSTON, Mass. – Senior forward Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Emmanuel College women's basketball team over visiting Mount Saint Mary College, 62-43, this afternoon at the 2014 Emmanuel College Women's Basketball Invitational at the Jean Yawkey Center on the Emmanuel campus in Boston, Mass.

The game was the season opener for both teams as the Saints improve to 1-0, while the Knights fall to 0-1. Emmanuel advances to the championship game tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., taking on William Paterson College, a 69-59 winner over State University of New York New Paltz earlier in the day.  Mount Saint Mary College will play in tomorrow's consolation game vs. New Paltz at 12:00 p.m.

The Saints dominated the glass with a 59-38 count on rebounds and made the most of 31 offensive caroms, outscoring the Knights, 22-2, on second chance points. The Emmanuel defense also held the visitors to just 26% (13-50) shooting from the floor.

The Saints scored the first five points of the game, courtesy of senior forward Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) as part of an opening 12-2 run. Freshman forward Jessica Rini ended the stretch with a layup for the Knights to cut the deficit to 12-4 at the 12:27 mark, but Emmanuel got back to work with a 10-2 stretch. Bujnowski fueled the run with six points to give the home team a commanding 22-6 lead with 7:38 to go in the opening half. The Saints later increased their cushion to 27-10 at the 4:26 mark, before a jumper from Rini capped a 7-2 burst from Mount Saint Mary to cut the deficit to 29-17 with 2:24 to go in the period. Freshman guard Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) knocked down a three-pointer for her first collegiate points to close the half and give Emmanuel a 32-17 lead to head into the intermission.

The Saints opened the second stanza with a 13-5 run, capped by a three-pointer from freshman guard Sasha Puglisi (Cross River, N.Y.) to increase their lead to 45-22 with 13:50 showing in the second half. The Knights came back with six unanswered points to cut the margin to 45-28 with 11:56 to go in the second period. Emmanuel later maintained a 49-30 advantage at the 10:48 mark, before scoring nine of the next 10 points to take its largest lead of the afternoon at 58-33 with 4:57 remaining in the contest. The Saints cruised in the final minutes to come away with a 62-43 win.

Bujnowski pulled down 10 of her rebounds in the first half and added a steal and a blocked shot to her effort for Emmanuel, while sophomore forward Alexis Ezell (Acworth, Ga.) came off the bench to net 11 points and grab nine rebounds in addition to making three steals and blocking a shot in just 18 minutes of play. Puglisi finished with nine points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal in 15 minutes, while junior guard Devin Rauh (Collegeville, Pa.) dished for a game-high seven assists, including five in the first half to go with five rebounds and two points.

Senior Natalie Candarelli (Cortland Manor, N.Y.) led Mount Saint Mary with nine points in 18 minutes off the bench and added two rebounds and a steal. Rini finished with eight points and three boards, while junior guard Nicole Scicutella (Massapequa, N.Y.) chipped in with five points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal.