Saints Advance With 69-47 Win Over Norwich in GNAC Quarterfinals

BOSTON - A strong second and third quarter helped No. 1 Emmanuel College post a 69-47 win over No. 8 Norwich University in the 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Quarterfinals Wednesday evening in Boston, Mass. The Saints outscored the Cadets by a 40-17 margin over the middle two periods to seal their 19th consecutive win and advance to the GNAC Semifinals.

Saints Advance With 69-47 Win Over Norwich in GNAC Quarterfinals
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Team Stats

February 23, 2022

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel College, 69
Norwich University, 47

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (23-1, 16-0 GNAC)
Norwich University Cadets (10-15, 7-9 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – JYC Gymnasium/Andy Yosinoff Court

Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2022

THE LEAD – A strong second and third quarter helped No. 1 Emmanuel College post a 69-47 win over No. 8 Norwich University in the 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Quarterfinals Wednesday evening in Boston, Mass. The Saints outscored the Cadets by a 40-17 margin over the middle two periods to seal their 19th consecutive win and advance to the GNAC Semifinals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • A three by NU first-year Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) put the Cadets ahead 11-6 with 4:11 to play in the opening quarter before Emmanuel closed out the period on a 10-0 run to take a 16-11 lead into the first break.
  • Emmanuel's run continued in second as they scored eight straight to extend the lead to 24-11 capped by a layup by senior forward Riley Lahiff (North Attleboro, Mass.) with 7:03 to play in the half.
  • The Saints held the Cadets to just six points in the second quarter while Emmanuel scored 17, including eight by grad student Jamad Fiin (Boston, Mass.) as the Saints took a 33-17 lead into the half.
  • The Cadets cut the deficit to nine thanks to an 11-4 run to open the third quarter, but ECs response came in the form of 19 straight points over the final 5:50 of the quarter to open up a 56-28 lead over Norwich.
  • The Saints increased their lead to as many as 30 in the fourth quarter as they cruised to a 69-47 victory, advancing to the GNAC Semifinals.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

  • Saints senior Loredana D'Agostino (Broad Brook, Conn.) led the Saints with 14 points to go with four rebounds and four steals.
  • Fiin added 13 points, four steals, and three assists for the Saints while Lahiff finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
  • Sophomore Olivia Matela (Swampscott, Mass.) added 11 points and five steals, off the bench.
  • In total, the Saints forced 30 Cadets turnovers, resulting in 18 steals for Emmanuel.
  • For NU, Brewster led all scorers with 15 points, all coming from beyond the arc.
  • First-year MacKenzie Moore (Georgia, Vt.) chipped in with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field.
  • Sophomore Rachel Botala (Grand Isle, Vt.) came off the bench for six points and four rebounds.

UP NEXT

  • With the win, the Saints advance to the GNAC Semifinals and will host No. 4 Regis College in the next round of the conference tournament on Saturday, February 26 at 3:00 PM.