SAINTS DOWN AMCATS, 71-43, IN PLAY4KAY GAME

BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College overpowered Anna Maria College, 71-43, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball action played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Tuesday night.  The game marked Emmanuel's Play-4-Kay event.  The players, coaching staffs, operations crew and fans wore pink and the referees officiated the game with pink whistles as part of a nationwide effort to promote breast cancer awareness.

The win boosts the Saints' overall record to 15-9 and to a perfect 10-0 against GNAC opponents.  Anna Maria falls to 9-15 on the season and 4-6 in conference play with the loss.

The Saints jumped out to an early 10-4 lead, backed by six quick points from senior captain Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.).  The hosts held on to their lead, up 15-10, midway through the first half, despite seven points in the opening ten minutes from Anna Maria's Trafficia Warburton (Worcester, Mass.).

An old-fashioned three-point play by senior center Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) gave the Saints a double-figure edge, 22-12. Consecutive hoops in the paint from Alexis Ezell (Acworth, Ga.) put EC up 28-16 with under four minutes remaining in the half. 

Junior guard Sarah Higgins (Groveland, Mass.) then buried a triple and stole an inbounds pass, following an Anna Maria timeout, as Emmanuel extended its lead to 17, up 33-16.  The Saints would use an 11-3 run to end the half and carried a twenty-point lead, 39-19, into the locker room at half time.

Higgins led all scorers at the break with her 16 points and seven rebounds.  Warburton paced the AMCats with 11 points and six boards in the opening frame.

The Saints held the AMCats scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half, building a 47-19 lead.  A lay-up by Katie Pryor (Whitinsville, Mass.) broke the ice for Anna Maria with 13:53 left to play in the contest.

With just under nine minutes to go, freshman guard Ryan Maynard (Bowie, Md.) stuck a three to push EC's lead up over 30 points, at 57-25 and the visitors were out-played for the remainder of the night.

Higgins finished just shy of a double-double with her game-high 18 points, nine boards, five assists and two steals in just 22 minutes of action.  Ezell was 100% on the night, going 5-5 from the floor and 2-2 from the line to finish with 12 points and nine rebounds.  Freshman point guard Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) netted 10 points and dished out four assists to round out a trio of double-figure scorers for the Saints.  Sophomore forward Jen Chalk (Horseheads, N.Y.) chipped in with eight points and nine rebounds, while EC guards Sasha Puglisi (Cross River, N.Y.) and Devin Rauh (Collegeville, Pa.) dished out five assists apiece in the win for the Saints.

Warburton was the lone double-figure scorers for AMC.  The senior forward hit for 15 points and hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds in the effort.

Both teams wrap up the regular season this Saturday, February 21st.  Emmanuel will play across the street at Simmons College in a Colleges of the Fenway (COF) battle beginning at 1:00 PM.  Anna Maria will host Albertus Magnus College in a 1:00 PM start.

The Saints have also secured the No.1 seed in the upcoming GNAC Tournament and will host quarterfinal action next Tuesday night, February 24th, at 7:00 PM.