Second Quarter Run Separates Saints in 78-67 Win at Elms

CHICOPEE, Mass. - A second quarter stretch that saw Emmanuel outscore Elms 21-10, including seven Saints contributing to the scoresheet, helped the visiting Emmanuel Saints to a 78-67 victory over the Elms Blazers on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play.

The victory keeps the Saints inside the top four in the GNAC standings, moving to 10-10 (7-2 GNAC) this season with five games to go. The Blazers fall one game back of the final play-in playoff spot in the conference and have lost five in a row, all to GNAC opponents.

After a 23-23 opening quarter, the Saints jumped out to their largest lead of the first half, using an 18-4 sprut through the middle of the second quarter to take a 44-30 lead. Emmanuel shot 9-of-19 from the floor in the second quarter with senior Shakirah Ketant (Easton, Mass.) and first-year Kalia Saunders (Larksville, Pa.) each scoring four points in the second for the Saints.

The Saints held a double-digit advantage through the majority of the third quarter but expanded their advantage to 19 points with a 9-0 run, in a span of 1:24, to end the third quarter, including seven points scored by senior Olivia Matela (Swampscott, Mass.), that put the Saints ahead 65-46. Elms never managed to close the gap to single digits as Emmanuel took home a comfortable 11-point win, despite being outscored by the Blazers 21-13 in the final 10 minutes.

Matela scored 23 points for the second consecutive game while making a season-high five three-pointers in the win. The senior guard shot 9-of-19 overall to go with six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Senior Kiera Eubanks (Portland, Maine) scored a season-high 17 points on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting, in 21 minutes. Saunders chipped in a career-high 10 points in 22 minutes off the bench.

Blazers guard Rahmia Johnson finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds. Fellow guards Talia Uribe and Jade Lewis had 14 and 13 points, respectively.

The Saints return to play on Wednesday, Feb. 7, making the trip to Saint Joseph's College of Maine for a 5:30 p.m. tip in a rematch of last season's GNAC Championship Game. The Blazers are back on Wednesday with a game against Regis at 7:00 p.m.