WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ADVANCES TO GNAC SEMIFINALS WITH 77-52 WIN OVER ALBERTUS MAGNUS

BOSTON, Mass. – No. 1 Emmanuel College took care of No. 8 Albertus Magnus College, 77-52, in the quarterfinal round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball tournament on Tuesday night in the Jean Yawkey Center. With the first-round win, the top-seeded Saints (17-9) will now host 4th-seeded Suffolk University in GNAC semifinal action on Thursday night.  Albertus Magnus ends its season at 11-15 overall.

The Falcons held an early 8-5 edge after hoops by Olivia Bolden (South Winsor, Conn.) and Olivia Sutherland (Wallingford, Conn.), but the Saints quickly knotted the score at 8-all on a baseline trey from Olivia Marks (Canterbury, Conn.).  Emmanuel junior guard and this week's GNAC Player of the Week Sarah Higgins (Groveland, Mass.) drained her second three of the night near the fifteen-minute mark and forced an Albertus Magnus timeout with the Falcons trailing 15-10.

Following an AMC hoop from Kelsey Pendagast (Shelton, Conn.), the Saints put together a 9-3 run to take a 24-15 lead with 11 minutes left to play in the half. An and-one on the break from Higgins would extend the Saints' lead into double-figures, up 29-17.  Devin Rauh (Collegeville, Pa.) later found Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) trailing on the break to cap a 9-2 EC run and set the score at 38-19.

The Saints stretched their lead to twenty points, 42-22, after a steal and a fastbreak bucket by Rauh. A pair of late hoops from sophomore forward Jen Chalk (Horseheads, N.Y.) helped the hosts to carry a 46-25 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Higgins led all scorers at the break with her 12 first-half points.  Bramante added 11 points and six rebounds for the Saints.  Bolden and Pendagast combined for 18 of the Falcons' 25 first-half points.

The Saints held on to their twenty-point advantage deep into the second half, but consecutive baskets from Pendagast and Sutherland cut the Falcons' deficit to 62-44 with just over six minutes remaining in the game.  Higgins then dropped a triple to push the Saints back up over twenty points at 67-46 at the five-minute mark.  Emmanuel ended the night on a 10-6 run to set the final score at 77-52 and the Saints pulled out the quarterfinal victory.

Higgins finished the night with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Saints.  Bramante hit for 17 points, coming off of 7-9 shooting, to go along with her seven rebounds.  Chalk added 14 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore forward Alexis Ezell (Acworth, Ga.) chipped in with 10 points. Rauh dished out a game-high six assists in the win for EC.

Bolden completed a double-double with her game-highs of 22 points and 10 boards.  Pendgast added 18 points and eight rebounds in the effort for the Falcons.

In other quarterfinal action, No. 4 Suffolk University defeated No. 5 Rivier University, 60-45.  The Saints will now host Suffolk this Thursday night, February 26th, in a 7:00 PM GNAC semifinal tip-off.