SAINTS STORM INTO GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH WIN OVER JWU
Feb. 29, 2008
Boston, MA - The Emmanuel Women's Basketball Team cruised to an 82-57 victory over visiting Johnson & Wales University in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament semifinals on Friday night in the Jean Yawkey Center.
The Wildcats struggled with the Saints' pressure defense. With Emmanuel contesting shot after shot, Johnson & Wales was plagued by poor shooting throughout the contest. The Wildcats made good on just 7 field goals in the first half and 8 in the second, shooting 15 for 81 (18.5%) on the night. The Saints out-rebounded the Wildcats, 63-51, and scored 22 points off 20 Wildcat turnovers. Despite committing 26 fouls and sending Johnson & Wales to the line thirty-five times, the Saints were able to come away with the twenty-five point victory.
All fourteen of the Emmanuel players had points in the book tonight. The Saints shot 44.3% from the field (31-70) and 60% (3-5) from beyond the arc. Senior forward Jacque Pannell (Bloomfield, CT) led the way, recording a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Pannell was perfect in the first half, going 4 for 4 from the field and 6 for 6 from the line. Senior guard Jade Paez (Bronx, NY) hit for 12 points, while sophomore guard Iman Davis (Toms River, NJ) chipped in with 8 points and 7 boards in the win. Freshman point guard Casey Shevlin (Medford, NY) dished out 5 assists for the Saints.
Johnson & Wales had a trio of players scoring in double figures. The Wildcats were led by junior guard Johanna Santosuosso (Salem, NH), who netted 16 points and dished out a game-high 6 assists. Junior guard Alyse Ragaglia (West Newbury, MA) added 11 points, while sophomore forward Alexia Ramirex (San Marcos, CA) posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. Rookie forward Morgan Wilson (LaGrangeville, NY) pulled down 12 offensive rebounds in the effort.
The Wildcats wrapped up the season with an overall record of 13-13. With tonight's win, the Saints improved to 21-6 on the season and will vie for their 12th GNAC Championship on Saturday afternoon (3/1) in the Jean Yawkey Center on the campus of Emmanuel College. This is Emmanuel's 7th-straight appearance in the GNAC finals.
In other semifinal action, the 2nd-seeded Rams of Suffolk University edged 3rd-seeded Norwich University, 53-52. With this win, Suffolk set a program record with 20 wins on the season and will advance to the GNAC finals for the first time since 2000. The Rams will be looking for their first-ever GNAC championship
The Saints (21-6) will now take on Suffolk (20-7) in the championship game beginning at 3pm. The winner of the conference championship will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.